Dragonette Debacle
by salus gem
Summary: Non-Epilogue compliant. A depressed, lonely Harry literally stumbles into a man who seduces him with answers to Harry's problems, hands him the promise of happiness…and an invisible shackle to a gilded prison. With answers he hates, will Harry be able to find the elusive happiness he deserves?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any profits from posting this fanfiction.

**Summary:** Non-Epilogue compliant. A depressed, lonely Harry literally stumbles into a man who seduces him with answers to Harry's problems, hands him the promise of happiness…and an invisible shackle to a gilded prison. With answers he hates, in his hand will Harry be able to find the elusive happiness he deserves?

**Pairings:** HP/GW. HP/OMC. HP/OFC. HP/TH (Terrence Higgs). HP/Other Rowling Characters.

**Authors Notes: **My thanks to Scioneeris who has once again been generous with her time and skill and has proof read all my work. You are absolutely wonderful so thank you Scioneeris!

**Warnings: **Anybody who read my profile will know that this fic is an awful lot darker than my last fc Dragonette Destined. Not every Dragonette is good, much like not ever person is good. Sometimes you just get your bad eggs. The problem is you don't always know who are bad as their true colours do not show straight away. Thus, as a warning to you, there will be **dark scenes, mentions of rape, violent scenes and battles against emotional problems** in this fic. There will also be gentler scenes, **homosexual intimacies, heterosexual intimacies and romance.** I hope you are prepared…..I know I wasn't when I started writing this story.

* * *

**Dragonette Debacle – Chapter 1 – Endings and Beginnings.**

**12****th**** October 1998 – Harry age 18 years.**

"Oh! Oh! That's so good…oh _Harry_…mmmm…Yes! Yes! YES!"

Harry gave one last lick and a hum before pulling right away and sitting back on his heels to look at his girlfriend.

Ginny lay on her back, bliss painted on her face as her eyes stared glazed at the ceiling. Her cheeks flushed and a shine to her pale unblemished skin from the faint sheen of sweat that covered her. Her naked breasts trembled and wobbled slightly with every harsh panted breath she took. Her body quivered faintly with an after effect of the orgasm and then all her muscles relaxed. With a sigh Ginny's eyes fluttered shut and she just lay on the bed panting and still, looking so utterly relaxed, sated and beautiful that she could have been a picture of a debauched lover in a high class art gallery.

Harry smiled, his girlfriend was amazing, the most gorgeous being in the world.

Ginny's eyes fluttered open and Harry was stuck in her dark brown gaze. She smiled and slowly, ever so slowly, raised herself into a sitting position and shimmied forwards so she could press up against him, still naked and with Harry between her still parted thighs.

"Oh Harry, that was wonderful." Ginny sighed and nuzzled Harry's cheek.

Harry shut his eyes and wrapped his arms around her petite waist so he could hug her tight. "You deserved it." Harry muttered and kissed her neck and ran his lips across the tender skin below her ear lobe.

Ginny shuddered and pulled back pushing her lips against his in a gentle but passionate kiss. "I love you." Ginny whispered between kisses and

Harry would have responded but he was suddenly aware of a hand running down his chest. Harry's stomach muscles clenched then unclenched and clenched again, flexing as the touch slid down over them.

Harry held his breath as Ginny's fingers slid through the fine pubic hairs on his abdomen and followed the line they made further down. Excitement spiked through him. Ginny reached lower, her teasing smile pressing against his skin as her fingers danced down and down. Harry's heart skipped a beat in anticipation.

Ginny's fingers brushed on his sensitive skin.

Harry bit his lip.

Ginny grasped him.

Harry felt nothing but her skin on his.

Her grasping hand against his soft skin…against his soft…

Harry felt his heart shatter. He pulled away with a gasp and put as much distance between him and his girlfriend as he could.

"Harry!" Ginny whined from her position on the bed.

Harry fled to the window, stooping to grab his over-robe from the floor and slip it on so he didn't stand in their bedroom completely naked. Harry stalked to the window and put his hands on the sill.

"I'm sorry Ginny," was all that Harry could say. He hung his head low and hunched forwards, his shoulders rising higher than his head. What more could he say?

He and Ginny were together, had been for months now since the end of the war. They had been in love and committed to their relationship for ages, heck they had been in love for over a year but separated because of the war. Now, despite how in love they were and how committed to each other they were, they were still separated because Harry could not participate intimately with Ginny beyond pleasuring her. He never received any pleasure for himself. Not for lack of trying, oh they had tried…Harry just could not get aroused.

"Harry, this is really silly! How are we supposed to be together if you can't…can't…if you…" Ginny stuttered, faltering for the right word. She finally settled on one and it made Harry wince harshly. "If you keep malfunctioning!"

"I'm not a machine, Gin!" Harry protested weakly the shame and despair swallowing him, hurt stabbing him in the chest.

"I know, I'm sorry." Ginny apologised gently.

Harry heard her gently footsteps on the floor behind him then arms crept around his stomach and she pressed up behind him. He tensed, every muscle in his body tightening like steel. Ginny didn't seem to care, she leaned against him and pressed against his body hard.

"Ginny…"

"Harry, I love you I really do. But you not getting...passionate…" Again Harry winced at her choice in words. "…it is really bothering me. And it should be bothering you too. I mean it's not normal Harry. There might be something seriously wrong! I think you should see a healer about it."

Harry shrugged out from her hug and marched a few paces away, whirling around to meet her dead on. "I've tried that! You know I have! I went to a healer about it and all he could tell me was that there was no spell damage and perhaps I wasn't attracted to you after all or that neither of us were skilled enough to bring about arousal! Then he spilled the news to the press and I've had the whole world laughing at me because of it! I am not seeing a healer again."

Harry's frustration raised his voice so his words echoed around the room and his vehemence struck in every chord he spoke. Harry had been utterly humiliated in the last few weeks because of the story leaked to the press through his healer.

Ginny clenched her fists and flushed red, blatant signs of her anger rising.

"Well, _obviously_ that man was incompetent! There is something wrong Harry. Since you are attracted to me and we know we are both doing the right things, it has _got_ to be a medical problem!"

"Ginny, for Merlin's sake…!"

"Don't you 'for Merlin's sake' me Harry James Potter. There is something wrong and I want to know what it is!"

"I DON'T KNOW! I just can't get an erection with you! I don't know why! I've tried, we've tried! Nothing works! There can't be anything wrong with it because it works fine when I'm alone."

"Oh great, so maybe it's me?! Is that it?! IT'S MY FAULT?!" Ginny screamed and turned from Harry, snatching up her clothes and storming from the room in a fit of rage, slamming the door closed behind her and smashing things as she stormed down the corridor.

Harry listened to the din Ginny made as she stalked off. Something fell and shattered, something boomed as it hit something else…finally there was a loud crack that reverberated around the house announcing that Ginny had apparated away.

Harry groaned and huffed, crossing to the bed and flopping down onto it. Everything was going wrong…everything was just falling apart around him.

Why couldn't he get an erection? The healer had suggested he wasn't attracted to Ginny, perhaps his taste was for a different sort of woman…or even for a man. Harry had disagreed, because he was attracted to Ginny. When they had split up for a week because of sheer frustration Harry had followed the healer's line of thinking and gone to a non-descript kind of club in muggle London to see if he could find somebody attractive and finally reach an erection by someone's hand other than his own.

The night had ended abysmally. He tried with a stunning beauty of a woman, but he hadn't even twitched. He also tried with a handsome man he hit it off with in a gay bar, the same thing happened, which is to say absolutely nothing. He could get an erection by himself, but when somebody else touched him his erection left. The only thing, besides despair and defeat, that he had taken from his club going experience was that he could be attracted to both sexes.

Harry had tried everything with Ginny, absolutely everything. They had researched how to have sex when a wizard was having trouble getting it up. They researched different forms of pleasure. They had tried blindfolds, toys and spells and potions but everything failed.

Maybe it was time to call it a day. End everything.

This situation wasn't fair to either of them. It only hurt them more.

Harry sighed and willed down his tears. Rolling over Harry pressed his face into the blanket and shut his eyes. He _hated_ this.

* * *

**30****th**** October 1998 – Harry age 18years.**

Harry looked at Ginny's excited face. The hope glistening in her brown eyes tore away the wall he had put up around his heart and melted his resistance.

"Alright, then. I'll take it." Harry held his hand out and took the box of muggle medicine from his girlfriend. Ginny bounced a little and lunged forwards. She threw her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his in a searing kiss.

Harry nearly dropped the box but laughed and kissed Ginny back. He loved kissing, absolutely loved kissing. And kissing Ginny was better than just kissing somebody because he loved her and loving kissing Ginny was so much better than just kissing.

Ginny pulled back breathless and panting gently against Harry's lips. Her eyes were bright and her cheeks were flushed. She faintly thrummed with excitement and Harry felt some of it transfer over to him. He laughed again, hope soaring.

He looked at the box in his hand. The muggle drug interacted with something and made an erection happen no matter _what_ apparently. Anything was worth a shot. Harry was desperate to be intimate with Ginny, to love his girlfriend and have her love him in a physical way and not just the emotional way she had been restricted to loving him with.

Harry pulled out the small sheet with the pills inside the foil. He pierced it with his thumb and tore back the foil. The pill stared at him innocently but full of promise. Harry swallowed and took a deep breath in. This pill held all his hopes, all his desires.

Harry tipped it out into his palm and threw away the box, not caring where it landed.

"Why don't you go to the bathroom to get ready and I'll get ready here?" Ginny offered and Harry silently nodded and did as instructed.

He went into the bathroom and took care of all his business then after washing his hands, he dropped the lid of the toilet down and sat on it staring at the pill that potentially could make his life complete.

Harry didn't know how long he waited steeling his nerves. Finally he lifted the lips pill and placed it on the back of his tongue. With a mouthful of tap water Harry swallowed the pill down and waited for it to work. The box said it could take up to an hour to work so Harry wandered into the bedroom and found Ginny sitting on the bed in a chemise that she'd told him a few months ago was called a babydoll. She looked stunning, the babydoll, a light blue that accentuated her light skin and red hair.

Ginny smiled as he came closer and patted the bed next to her. Harry wandered over and sat down leaning his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands between his legs.

"Is it working yet?"

"It takes time, Ginny. That's what the box said."

So they waited and chatted, occasionally stopping to kiss because Harry loved kissing.

Lying on the bed pressed full frontal against each other, Harry placed kisses all over Ginny's neck as his fingers danced around her nether regions driving her into pleasure. She was moaning and squirming, kissing him wherever she could reach but not letting her hands trail below his waist as Harry pulled back every time she tried.

"Oh Harry…that feels good." Ginny shifted and Harry lifted his head to kiss her lips gently and lovingly as he massaged a breast.

Ginny shifted her hips and Harry gasped and leapt back from her as she brushed a very sensitive part of his anatomy and stimulated it.

"Harry?"

"Oh Merlin…" Harry gasped and looked down at the tent in his trousers. Ginny had brushed against him and he had maintained an erection.

"Oh Harry, it's working!" Ginny squealed and Harry just nodded at her too dumbstruck to utter a sound. Wide eyed and gawping Harry looked at Ginny, his ever loving Ginny with hope renewed and heart soaring.

It was working.

"Can I touch it?" Ginny asked tentatively and again Harry nodded silently. His mind was screaming for this to please, please, _please,_ stay working. Ginny reached out a hand and brushed it over Harry's erection. Harry felt pleasure soar through him. Ginny touched him again and this time did it with more confidence and certainty. Harry's erection rose. Ginny undid his trousers and there he was in all his glory.

"Gin…" Harry breathed reverently. Ginny smiled brightly up at him and pushed his trousers down over his hips.

"Make love to me Harry." She whispered and Harry's eyes rolled as he leaned forwards and enjoyed the pleasure of intimacy with his girlfriend.

* * *

**31****st**** October 1998 – A few hours later.**

Harry whimpered and sniffed, angrily wiping away his tears as he brought himself to completion.

On the bed Ginny was crying hysterically into her pillow, the bed covers wrapped tightly around her and her hair a mess over her face.

Harry had made love to Ginny as she had wanted. He had made love to her for hours very slowly and torturously as his erection had showed no signs of abating. The problem was that it showed no signs of abating and he couldn't reach completion. He couldn't orgasm no matter what Ginny did, no matter what position they tried. Ginny became too sore to continue trying after a while and Harry was strung up on pleasure that he was frustrated and exhausted with the fact that the pleasure kept mounting and mounting but never peaked.

All his hoping and all his wishing had been for nothing.

"Ah…" Harry groaned with a gravelly broken voice. His orgasm finally peaked and he spilled all over his hand. Ginny's crying became louder and her whole body shook. Harry closed his eyes bitterly and grabbed the edge of the bed cover to clean himself up.

All that could be heard in the room was Ginny's sobs and Harry's hitched breathing.

It was no good. It was no good at all. Harry couldn't successfully be intimate. It was useless.

And it was unfair. Unfair to both of them.

Harry's thoughts turned to the depressing conclusion he had come to a while ago and he felt hot stinging tears build in his eyes.

"Ginny?" No answer, just sobbing. Harry turned around and looked at the sobbing young woman, his heart breaking. His chest felt like it had been torn open and into the wound, ice-cold salt water had been poured, the potent mixture aggravating the vicious wound. "Ginny?"

"What?"

"Ginny…I love you." Ginny whined and gave a huge sob. She sat up as if to say something but Harry shook his head and continued speaking. If he let her speak he might not get to say all he wanted to say. "Ginny, I love you and I'm sorry."

"Harry, I…"

"No Ginny, let me finish." Ginny nodded tearfully and pushed her rats' nest of hair back from her face so she could see him clearly. "I…"

Harry paused a moment as a sob broke his voice away and made him stutter. His lips trembled and he shook his head nothing but the despair crossing his thoughts. He lost his speech. He lost his train of thought. All he could think of was how much this _hurt_. It hurt so much more than the cruciatus. It was agonising. There could be no greater agony than a broken heart…surely.

"I love you. I'm going to miss you so, so, so much. Find someone who can give you what I can."

"Harry, I don't _want_…"

"No Ginny. I won't…I won't do this anymore. I don't want to do this anymore, it _hurts_. I can't be what you need and I want to stop all this pain. Find someone else and be happy. Be happy okay? For me?" Harry begged and pleaded trying to convey all his heartbreak and his resolve into his stuttered words.

Ginny slumped and covered her hands with her face. Harry waited, mentally willing for and answer.

They could not come back from this. They could not be together, not after this. Not after they had tried _everything_ and still failed. Not when something would not let Harry reach the height of pleasure by another. Harry could not stay in a relationship with the woman he loved when he was unable to contribute physically as she was. It wasn't fair, it wasn't right and it wasn't what a relationship should be.

Finally, _finally, _Ginny nodded.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief and leaned forwards unseen by Ginny to place a kiss on the side of her head as he could reach no other part of her face.

"Find somebody to love you Gin. Be happy."

Harry stood up and grabbed his wand from the bedside cabinet. Leaving the room Harry summoned all his clothes to him. Once in the hall Harry closed the bedroom door and got dressed. Heading towards the floo he threw the powder into the fire and shouted his destination.

"Leaky Cauldron." He would stay there for the night and in the morning he'd head back home to Grimmauld Place when, hopefully, Ginny would be gone. He'd change the wards to block her from coming into his house. He'd return all her belongings back to her in the morning. He'd talk to Hermione and Ron in the morning. He'd deal with everything in the morning.

"Ah, good eve-no…no good morning Mister Potter. How can I be helping you this night?"

"A room please Tom. And a bottle of your strongest please." The barkeeper nodded and, as if sensing Harry's distress, offered no more words just a key and a bottle of fire whiskey. Harry took the objects and went up to the room.

Why did everything bad have to happen to him on Halloween?

Why did everything have to happen to him?

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**15****th**** July 2007 – Harry age 26years.**

Harry groaned at the pressure behind his eyes as he finally put down his quill after signing the last piece of documentation for the day.

It was quarter to midnight and it had been a bloody long day. Harry rubbed his eyes tiredly. He had Teddy in the morning and if he didn't get home soon the 9-year-old would drive him insane. They were supposed to go to a muggle theme park as Teddy's muggle primary school had broken up for the summer and as a treat for keeping his metamorphmagus ability under control while attending school Harry was taking the boy out as a reward.

Harry stood up and filed the document away. Grabbing his robe from the robe stand Harry pulled it on and with a flick of his wand, turned off all the lights in the room. He was going home. Harry locked the door to his office and warded it, as he always did, then turned to walk to the floo in the main

The Ministry always seemed so dark after hours. So few wizards roamed about it that it was eerie. Of course Harry's auror department was bustling as always, in fact since Harry took over as Head Auror in January, the department had been busier than usual because Harry had insisted on more aurors taking night duties. It had helped cut crime by two thirds because they no longer had to wait until the day aurors got in for work to deal with crimes, because there were lots more night aurors the crimes could be tackled almost immediately making it more likely for them to catch the criminal. Harry had been hailed as an Evil slave driving head of department when he had brought in the new rule that his aurors work nights more. However after one month his title had changed back to Wizarding World Saviour because of the reduction in crime.

Harry bid his aurors good night and wandered out of the Auror Department and down the hall towards the Atrium where he could floo home. The lift down was blessedly free of other people, and there were only two aeroplane memos too which meant a lot less crowding for Harry. That was a relief, he was in no mood to be crowded.

Harry got out of the lift and walked around the massive sculpture that took centre stage in the atrium. It had changed over the years and as the wizarding world developed. Now many different magical creatures stood in the fountain shoulder to shoulder with each other and with wizards. A statue depicting a pureblood stood with a muggle born and a half-blood witch and wizard next to them. A man mid-transformation into a dragon stood to the left. A beautiful sculpture of a veela was in a model's pose showing off her beauty but if you watched the sculpture for too long it would change into the veela's bird form. A werewolf was there too half transformed. A merman was sculpted swimming but next to the pack of wizards. Goblins, a group of about five, stood proudly and two of the five held wands. House elves stood there too, some with cleaning equipment, some wearing clothes and looking proud, some with swords looking fierce.

Hermione had influenced a lot of changes in wizarding society, bringing many creatures closer to their goals as equals to wizards. Goblins had been the first to be recognised with fully equal status. Beings who turned into a magical creature form like werewolves and shifters had been next. House elves were given more rights but Hermione was still working on their equality rights. There was a lot left to be done but Harry was proud of his friend…he was proud of his friends. He and Ron had turned around the Auror department, Hermione had changed laws to bring equality and Kingsley had lead the wizarding world uncompromisingly to a better future. Arthur had brought a lot more muggle tolerance and, with Kingsley's help, had brought many muggle technologies into the wizarding world bringing the wizarding world closer to the twentieth century and not stuck in the dark ages any more.

"Oh!" Harry nearly cursed as he bumped into something. He stumbled a little but strong hands caught him. Automatically Harry's wand was flicked into his hand and he yanked himself back before his brain caught up with his muscles actions. Harry blinked and brought a hand up to rub his eyes. Once he rubbed the tiredness from one eye he looked at the person standing in front of him.

It was a man with dark skin, black hair and red-brown eyes. There was a prominent nose, rather long and angular but not especially large or overpowering in the centre of the man's face pointing down to thin mouth. The man had a stubbly beard as if he couldn't quite submit to shaving it off completely but at the same time couldn't bear to have a beard. He had an Arab tunic on and a scarf on his head, with a matching shawl over his shoulders. Beads hung from his neck to his middle with larger flat rune-etched beads interspaced between those brown beads. The man was tall, at least six feet tall or over giving him many inches on Harry's five-feet, six-inches. He had a smile on his face and from the way he held himself, with his arms outspread and palms up and empty, he appeared non-threatening.

Harry couldn't help but feel that there was something not quite…not quite right about this stranger.

"Greetings and many, many apologies. My eyes were fixed to the fascinating display fountain and I neglected to look where I stepped."

He had a funny way of speaking too, Harry noticed. Old fashioned language, weird grammar, a hint of an accent. "It's not a problem, I was not looking where I was going either. My apologies for knocking into you Mr…?"

"Ah…Sheikh Saladin Yusri. You are most gracious in your apology. Perhaps you would allow me to make amends for my grievous oversight?"

Harry frowned and looked the man over again, those red-brown eyes bore into him. Something strange came over Harry, something made him want to turn his head to the side but something also wanted him to keep his wand in his hand. Two instincts warring within him…it was strange and it put him on edge.

"That's a kind offer, Mr. Yusri, however I'm afraid I shall have to decline. If you'd excuse me I've got to go home." Harry apologised and also tried to hint with his words. It was a gentle back off, those instincts inside him not allowing him to be completely clear with his convictions as he couldn't be sure whether to trust or distrust the fellow.

"Ah, it is Shiekh Yusri…but of course you must go home, the hour is late. Excuse me." The man bowed and backed up a step sweeping his arms wide in an 'after you' motion.

Harry nodded and, still frowning, moved past Shiekh Yusri. He felt eyes watching him as he walked away and over to the floo. He felt really uncomfortable. So uncomfortable he decided he wouldn't floo home, he'd floo to the leaky cauldron and then floo home so the stranger wouldn't overhear his address.

Just as he was about to step into the floo, Shiekh Yusri called out to him again.

"Pardon me, my friend, but might I know your name?" Harry felt himself start. He pulled back and turned fully around to stare at the Shiekh.

"Pardon?"

"Umm…your name, friend?"

His name? The Shiekh wanted to know _his_ name? Everybody knew his name. He was Harry Potter. It wasn't arrogance that made him think this, but sheer frustration and annoyance at being known by everyone he met before he knew them. His face and his name, especially his scar on his face, was out in the public almost every week. He had books about him, the newspaper posted articles about him regularly, he was a house hold name, he was known world-wide and still this Shiekh wanted to know his name?

"You don't know my na-…" Harry stopped himself short. He didn't want to seem arrogant or self-absorbed. He didn't want to make this situation uncomfortable. Wasn't this what he had always wanted though? To be known for himself, not for his name? This Shiekh didn't know his name…it was incredible! It was laughable! It was refreshing. "I'm so sorry, that was rude of me. I am Head Auror, Harry Potter."

"Ah, Head Auror is quite a title for one so young Mr Potter."

Harry tried to see whether the man was having a laugh at his expense but those eyes held only sincerity. Harry felt something inside him relax. This man didn't know him and obviously didn't know his past. This was different, very different, to normal. But different didn't stand as having to be bad. "I work very hard at what I do and am very good at it. The position was granted because I earned it, sir."

"Oh, come now friend, no need to call me sir. Please, it is my desire for you to call me Saladin."

Harry nodded a little acquiescing to the request and Saladin smiled a wide tooth filled grin that was almost threatening but wasn't quite. Harry felt in two minds about Saladin, he was in a quandary and didn't know what to make of him.

"You honour me. I am humbled by your achievements Harry."

"Thank you."

"You are welcome, Harry. Now, I shall delay you no further. May I perhaps, visit you to arrange a time appropriate to treat you in apology for my careless behaviour earlier?"

"We were both at fault. There is no need to-to treat me." Harry stuttered a little trying to find a way to say that but eventually managed it.

Saladin smiled that shark like smile again. "My honour demands I make amends friend. Please, humble me and agree."

"Very well."

"Excellent. Now I shall leave you. Good night, Harry." Saladin did not wait for Harry to return the salutation, he turned and walked steadily away with his long tunic and shawl blowing slightly as he moved. He was so strange. Half inviting and half warning away, harmless with danger beneath his skin. He was polite but something carried beneath his words, something unseen and unheard but there. Saladin was an unknown.

Harry didn't like the unknown, usually it meant that people were hiding something malicious and dark.

The large clock over the atrium chimed and with a glance up Harry confirmed it was midnight. He couldn't delay any more. He had to go home. It was late and he was tired and he had worked since six that morning. He was well past deserving a break and some down time. He'd have the week end with Teddy and then would work hard again on Monday. He'd also look up Shiekh Saladin Yusri on Monday…unless Ron had a weekend shift, in which case he would get Ron to look him up on Harry's behalf.

Harry stooped low to step into the fireplace. Standing tall once he was in the fireplace, Harry bent his knees a little to brace himself for impact and stated his address. The ministry whirled away and hundreds of fireplaces danced before his vision before finally, the arrivals room at Grimmauld Place settled firmly into place and the flames died down. Harry stepped out of the fireplace and wandered up the stairs. He was going to bed.

* * *

Chapter 1 done and not only do we have our first hint but we get the introduction of the first new important character in Harry's life in this story. Tell me what you think of Sheikh Saladin. I would love to know your initial thoughts on him. I am not just begging for reviews; without giving anything away I can reveal that the characters will evolve greatly so initial thoughts are important. Thus, please give me your thoughts on Saladin.

**Terms to know:**

**Dragonette Destined** – People who showed an ability, skill or greatness of character that pleased a Dragon who marked them with magic as a 'treasure' or 'mate' for a Dragonette. Also, a Dragonette Destined are the offspring of a Dragonette Mateship who are unable to transform into Dragon Form.

**Dragonettes** – The offspring of a Dragon mating with a human, or a Dragonette mating with its human mates. This being is human but able to transform into Dragon Form at will or during periods of high anger or distress. Usually male, a Dragonette migt be female but would not lead a mateship as she would be a carrier for the mateship she joins.

**Mateship** – A group of people a Dragonette chose as his 'treasures', at a minimum a mateship comprises of a Dragonette, a Dominant or submissive male and a carrier female. A mateship is always an uneven number of beings and depending upon the number of mates the mateship is given a name following this rule: 'numeral prefix'-amorous. For example a mateship of 5 mates is a quintamorous mateship, a mateship of 11 mates is a undecimamorous mateship.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any profits from posting this fanfiction.

**Summary:** Non-Epilogue compliant. A depressed, lonely Harry literally stumbles into a man who seduces him with answers to Harry's problems, hands him the promise of happiness…and an invisible shackle to a gilded prison. With answers he hates in his hand will Harry be able to find the elusive happiness he deserves?

**Pairings:** HP/GW. HP/OMC. HP/OFC. HP/TH (Terrence Higgs). HP/Other Rowling Characters.

AN: My thanks, as always, to the wonderful Scioneeris who beta read this for me. Also, thank you very much to those of you who took the time to review and to share your thoughts on the Sheikh. Here is the next instalment an I can only apologise for it being late – I went to upload it yesterday and got interrupted so you get it this morning instead at a horribly ungodly hour. Enjoy!

Warnings: There will be **dark scenes, mentions of rape, violent scenes and battles against emotional problems** in this fic. There will also be gentler scenes, **homosexual intimacies, heterosexual intimacies and romance.** I hope you are prepared…..I know I wasn't when I started writing this story.

* * *

**Dragonette Debacle – Chapter 2 – The Destined, **

**31****st**** July 2007 – Harry age 28years.**

Harry was gleefully packing away his belongings. He was having an early finish today because it was his birthday and he was going to the pub after work with his colleagues in celebration. He didn't go often to the pub, hadn't been since December last year, in fact, when he had gone to drown his blues at being lonely. Today, however, he was going to enjoy himself and have a few pints of butterbeer, perhaps some of Ogden's finest and get a little merry.

"Uh Harry, mate, there's a gentleman here to see you?" Ron said poking his head around the office door.

Harry could have sighed. A man to see him? _Please let it be a short visit_. Harry did not want to have to deal with a new case now or have some annoying politician come and try to sweet talk him…or even some upstart trying to complain about his department.

"Alright, Ron, let them in." Harry groaned and slumped backwards into his chair, letting the papers he had been holding drop to his desk. Ron shot him a sympathetic glance and disappeared around the door closing it gently behind him. Harry waited, rather impatiently too, for the door to open and this 'gentleman' to come in so he could get everything sorted out as quickly as possible.

Moments later, there came a gentle knock on the door followed by the door opening and elegantly a tall figure dressed in a white floor length tunic with a dark brown over-robe walked into the room. A scarf was tied around his head, this time a red and white checked scarf and hung down the back of his neck. Sheikh Yusri stood before Harry with a smile and red-brown eyes glistening. He closed the door behind him and folded his hands in front of his body looking peaceful, mighty, serious and amused all at once.

Harry sat up straighter, assuming a better posture for the man before him. After their last meeting Harry had looked up information on Sheikh Yusri and had discovered that, whilst a wizard, the man, along with two of his brothers, had made a fortune in the muggle oil business, petrol and such like, and had studied muggle religion enough to be referred to as a Sheikh.

The Sheikh had been a collector of people's stories as well, not like a journalist but in one quote Harry had read about Sheikh Yusri it had said 'he likes to collect stories. Interesting people become his treasures and he does not share with the world that which he learns from the people he meets'. To all accounts the man was harmless, a strong man mentally and physically but harmless.

Harry used the information to shove away those warring instincts deep within him and placed some trust in the man before him. Harry wasn't always right about a person's character, just take Professor Snape for example. Snape was a mean and bitter man whose actions were all done with the memory of love for Harry's mother and the wish to rid the world of the evil that was Voldemort. Harry had never known that man's true intentions until the very end. Now with the Sheikh, Harry was unsure, but to all intents and purposes, the man was trustworthy, had glowing recommendations and had kind and gentle actions. Harry's research said he should trust the man.

"Ah, Your Excellency. How may I be of service?" Harry asked pleasantly, making a conscious effort to relax and be welcoming.

"My humblest apologies for intruding upon your work, however my conscience would no longer allow me to conduct my business when I have not yet made emends to you."

Harry blinked. "Ah." He murmured. The Sheikh had obviously not forgotten their earlier meeting, nor had he forgotten his request to 'treat' Harry in reparation. "There really is no need, Your Excellency. You accepted my apology and I accepted yours, there is no need to think about it any longer. I'm not upset."

"Ah but 'tis not your approval I am most eager to assuage, though admittedly your approval does sire some of my motive. My conscience prays heavily upon my mind and I can work no more without satisfying it." The Sheikh insisted taking one step closer to Harry and bowing his head as if weighed upon by his conscience.

Harry felt himself slump inwardly, the Sheikh's argument was not really one he'd be able to argue against since it was an argument he had used often as well. He had often claimed that his doing something or buying something for somebody was his way of treating them and making himself feel better because he had been busy or unable to spend much time with them. He used things like that as an apology. It appeared that the Sheikh did too…Harry tutted to himself mentally. He'd have to accept now.

"Very well then. Did you have a certain time in mind?" Harry enquired and the Sheikh smiled satisfied and ablaze with something Harry couldn't recognise but it heated up his eyes and brought a glow to the man's face.

"My hope had been for today friend, however if that is not amenable to you then perhaps you would be so good as to recommend a time."

Today was not a good time, Harry thought. He was going out with his colleagues for a birthday beer and was…perhaps actually it was a good idea. It would be like killing two birds with one stone. The Sheikh could accompany Harry out with Harry's work colleagues and appease his conscience while Harry wouldn't be so trapped in a one-on-one social with the Sheikh which could potentially be uncomfortable because how much could he and a Sheikh have in common to make small talk about? However, would the Sheikh agree to going on an outing like that? Harry couldn't imagine a Sheikh in a pub.

"I am going to the pub with my colleagues now. Perhaps you would like to accompany us? I am told the pub we are going to has a beautiful view and is opposite a Victorian muggle pier." Harry offered and the Sheikh gave a gentle smile and bowed his head minutely.

"I would not wish to intrude on your time with your colleagues."

Harry was quick to reassure the Sheikh. "You wouldn't be intruding. It's only a drink or two, most of them have work in the morning so they won't be staying out long. I hear their boss is a stickler for being on time and in good health." Harry gave a humorous laugh at the self-depreciating comment. "They won't mind you accompanying us. It was their idea to celebrate my Birthday and if I want you to come then they won't mind."

"Ah, it is your Birthday! Many happy returns for the day! If it is your Birthday and your with for me to come with you then of course I shall be honoured to join you."

"Excellent. Well then, just give me a moment to tidy up in here and I will be all ready to go if you are, Excellency?"

"I only await you friend, though I believe I offered you the use of my first name, Saladin. There is no need to use honorifics with me Harry." Those intense eyes pinned Harry where he now stood. Harry didn't know why but he felt like squirming under that gaze and heat pooled in his cheeks.

"Right, Saladin. Sorry." Harry shifted his gaze away from Saladin and hurriedly stacked up the papers on his desk into a haphazard pile, shoved it in his inbox so he could deal with organising it on Monday and then moved to get his robe.

"Here, allow me." Saladin moved and swiped Harry's robe from the robe hanger. Saladin turned the robe around and held it open inviting Harry to slide his arms into it. Feeling very much like a girl, but unable to protest to the treatment for fear of offending the man, Harry tuned his back on the Sheikh and slid his arms quickly into his robe, shrugging it onto his shoulders despite the Sheikh still keeping hold of the material. Saladin positioned the robe on Harry's shoulders and then smoothed down the fabric there so it was flat on his shoulders. Harry felt a shudder run up and down his spine and had to fight to keep it contained. Then Saladin let go.

"Thank you." Harry expressed gratefully, though still unable to meet the man's eyes. Harry walked over to the door and pulled it open. "Shall we?"

"Yes, we shall. Please, after you." Saladin reached past Harry and held the door open benevolently. Harry felt another twinge of unease at the easy chivalry but put it down to no longer being the chivalrous one.

"Sure. Okay." Harry mumbled and stepped out of his own office first.

After a thirty minute hullaballoo trying to get everybody going to the pub to converge there without causing a blockage in the floo system because of the en-mass exodus, Harry finally had a butterbeer in his hand and was relaxing into his soft leather pub chair. Saladin was settled next to him and Ron was across the table. Aurors Smythwck, Goldstien and Tolipan were also around the table and were engaged in a debate with Saladin. Harry took a long sip of his butterbeer.

"So mate, how does it feel to be twenty-eight? I mean you're on the slippery slope to the thirties now." Ron asked with a teasing glint in his eye.

"You tell me Ron, you have been twenty-eight longer than I have."

"Oh it's great. Great job, wonderful wife, lovely friends and…come to think of it, there are only two downsides to being twenty-eight."

"Oh yeah? What are those?"

"Well, first is that my Boss is a right tosser who keeps me slaving away doing insane hours-"

"OI!" Harry laughed and punched Ron in the shoulder.

Ron chuckled and rubbed his shoulder. "-the second is Mum. She keeps going on and on about her age and my age and why I haven't made her a grandmother yet. Urgh. Who wants to think about _children_? I'm young, I don't want kids yet!"

"I have to disagree with you there Ron. I want kids." Harry said mournfully, though he did sympathise with Ron's situation.

Molly had become a right tyrant demanding grandchildren from all her children. Ever since Bill and Fleur had their second child, and ever since she started babysitting for Teddy, she had become a nightmare. Only Ginny's wedding to Dean Thomas had abated the near constant hints and nudges about grandchildren for a while.

"I want kids too, preferably sooner rather than later." Alice Tolipan chirped and leaned closer to Harry and Ron. Ron turned a little green since Alice was at only 23years old and therefore 5years younger than Ron. Harry remembered Alice from school, the once plump eleven year old had grown up into a strong able bodied Auror, she had always shown good promise and capabilities in Dumbledore's Army.

"God, kids?! No way, not for me. And not for my missus either. She hates children, she's always calling them brats." Anthony Goldstein's useful contribution was slicked in humour and while his words were awful there was teasing in his eyes. Anthony was proud father to two lively young wizards and his wife was pregnant with another on the way.

"Ah children, the purest beings on this earth. They fill our lives with such joy. I have only a few but my time with them is precious." All eyes turned to Saladin.

"How many kids you got then? I've got three." Harry sighed and leaned back to watch the competition start before him. He had nothing to contribute so could only watch.

"Currently I have twelve."

"Twelve?!" Even Harry's voice joined the incredulous chorus.

Saladin smiled a wide, tooth filled smile looking slightly shark-like. "I am very blessed."

"How old are you to have that may children?!" Smythwick was ever careful with his words.

Harry quickly stumbled out an apology hoping to stop any offence being caused. Saladin waved him off with a smile and then put a hand on top of Harry's briefly while he answered.

"I am forty-one in January." Saladin removed his hand from on top of Harry's and folded his hands on the able, his voluminous sleeves nearly swallowing his tanned appendages.

"Crickey! And your missus put up with having that many kids?" Harry drew his wand and cast a quick non-verbal stinging hex at Smythwick. "OW!"

"Stop being so rude. Your Excellency, I sincerely apologise. It seems that Smythwick has drunk far too much." Harry apologised as humbly as he could.

Again Saladin just laughed it off and waved a hand between them. "Nonsense. It is a valid question, there is no offence. In answer I shall reveal only that my mateship is thriving and we rejoice in all the new children we bring into the world."

A mateship? Where had Harry heard that term before? It sounded familiar…Hermione came to mind immediately. A few years back she had been fighting for equal rights and full recognition of mateships and mateship bonds as a form of marital right or bonding. Harry just couldn't remember any more than that.

"Right well, let's change the subject. Sir, tell us about yourself. What is it you do?"

Harry noticed Ron breathe a sigh of relief at Goldstein's change in subject. Harry felt a similar relief, talking about a mateship was dangerous ground because there were still some wizards and witches who were against the idea of recognising mateships as legal despite legislation declaring it so a few years ago. Harry didn't care, Ron approved, Hermione was one hundred per cent for the legalisation and recognition of mateships. Harry didn't know his fellow auror's views on it.

"I have my hand in many a honey pot, however I made my fortune in muggle oil. I am a dedicated collector of fine arts and treasures of indescribable worth."

"What kinds of treasures?"

"Most recently I came across an Italian Adonis, beautifully sculpted and with such powerful enchantments that I couldn't bear to share the model with the world. I squirrelled it away to my home across the seas. It now has pride of place in my temple with some of my other treasures."

Harry noticed how Saladin's eyes flared with heat as he spoke about his treasure. It sent a shudder up his spine. He felt immensely uncomfortable and had the feeling that Saladin was hiding something. Harry mentally cussed himself. There was no reason for him to feel this way at all. Saladin had given him no real reason to suspect him and from the background checks that Harry had done Saladin was completely clean, a respectable member of society. Perhaps there was an inside joke about the Italian sculpture, nothing sinister at all. Harry needed to stop being so paranoid.

"Wow. Is it hard to find your treasures? Is it like curse breaking and tomb raiding?"

"Ah, not really. I have mostly relied upon luck…and connections. The Italian piece was found through a business associate of mine. I went to his firm to talk business and he introduced me to the marvellous model in his office. Naturally, being a collector, I had to have it. I offered a good deal and a week later I was hoarding my newest treasure home."

The chatting went on and one for a while and after a few hours most of Harry's colleagues had gone home. Some were still at the bar drinking and laughing, being generally rowdy but remaining carefully within limits at all times. Ron left about eleven o'clock and so Harry was left with Saladin at the table. Harry was feeling rather more relaxed now. The butter beer had done its job and given him a nice and relaxed buzz, lifting his spirits too which was a nice difference to the depressions he had slipped in and out of over the last few years.

"It appears that the drink is getting to me. I am afraid I must beg your indulgence, the drink has made me slightly addled." Saladin professed putting a hand to his forehead and closing his eyes. Harry eyed the Sheikh who had been drinking abundantly throughout the evening. He held his liquor very well and had drunk sensibly, mixing alcohol with copious food. The man had eaten an extremely large fish supper followed by an excessive amount of fruit, most fruits Harry had no idea were even available in the pub. The man had also refilled his water glass as often as he had topped up his alcohol. Harry couldn't see how the man would be drunk but then everybody had different levels of tolerance and despite being responsible about his drinking the Sheikh could be affected with tipsiness.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes of course. Perhaps I need some air."

"Come on then, Saladin, let's take a walk and see if you feel better. I could do with some fresh air too." Harry left his nearly empty pint on the table and pulled himself to his feet. Harry shrugged on his outer robe which had plenty of cooling charms on because it was the heat of July at the moment and despite the late hour it was still very warm. Harry then reached out and helped steady Saladin as the Sheikh got to his feet. Once stood up the man wobbled, reaching out to grasp both the table and Harry in order to steady himself. Saladin laughed ruefully then tried to stand again.

"I have not drunk as much as that for several years, my apologies for casting a shadow over your evening with my behaviour." He muttered.

Harry scoffed and slid an arm around the man's waist helping to take his weight as they crossed the pub to the front door. "Enough with the apologising. We're both tipsy. It's hardly casting a shadow or whatever. I've had one of the best nights out of my life tonight so I should be thanking you for participating in my birthday celebrations."

The warm summer night air hit them as they opened the wizarding pub door and swayed out onto the street. They walked along the street a little before crossing the muggle road so they were walking on the pathway parallel to the sea. The tide was in and the waves were crashing on the sandy beach below spraying up a salty mist. The smell of sea salt, the coolness the moisture added to the air, and the slight breeze seemed to help clear Harry's head and from the way the Sheikh was no longer leaning on him the man was obviously recovering.

"What, pray tell, is that structure extending into the sea?" He asked and pointed ahead where they could just make out something solid going out in a straight line into the sea. The dim light didn't give much information but Harry had been to the Merrows Anchor Pub in Southend-on-Sea a few times as it was a favourite among the aurors for Birthdays and Celebrations.

"That is Southend Pier."

"Hm. Would you care to walk it with me?" Harry had no objections so they wandered off down to the pier. There were very few muggles around but still Harry and Saladin slipped through the gates with minimal effort and strolled down the pier. It was a long walk and they didn't end up going all the way down the pier in the end as they stopped to look at the water.

Harry happily told Saladin about the merpeople colony that had made their home around the feet of the marvellous pier. With the help of the wizarding community the merpeople now had a colony that was safe from any muggle prying eyes, heavy wards around their underwater community and a good seafood trade going with the Merrows Anchor Pub, a pub which actually had a secret built in, tunnels underground and into the merpeople colony which was used as a trade link. It was a prospering relationship, the merpeople tribe being quite happy to trade with them for any precious stones or shells which they could use for clothes decorations or weapons.

"You appreciate magical beings." The statement was coupled with intent red-brown eyes, they almost glowed in the light. He was smiling coaxingly and his relaxed shoulders gave him the purest image of a man at his leisure. Harry leaned against the pier fence and looked down at the water, comfortable and enjoying the atmosphere.

"I do. I have many family, friends and colleagues who are dubbed magical creatures. There are not made better or worse by the fact that they have magical creature blood in their veins."

"Your reasoning is sound. And I am glad to find much of English wizarding society holds the same views. The equality here is refreshing and I am relishing it."

"A friend of mine, one of my very closest friends, fights for equal rights of many creatures. She has been very successful in her bid. It is helped by how famous she is and, I am ashamed to say, that to help her I have often used my fame as a means to sway the public." Harry admitted with embarrassment colouring his words and his face. The embarrassment doubled after he finished speaking as he did not know why he divulged so much information.

"Ah yes, your fame. I admit to being ignorant of your adventures when we first met. I do not wish to embarrass you or make you uncomfortable but I have rectified that matter and am now in reverential awe of your achievements."

"Oh." What did you say to that? Harry was feeling uncomfortable. It had been refreshing when the Sheikh hadn't known who he was. People tended to treat him with awe when they found out that yes he was actually the Boy Hero of the Wizarding World.

"I see I have affected you, I am sorry."

"It's fine. Don't worry about it, I can't blame you for being curious I guess."

They fell into a very brief silence before Saladin turned and took one of Harry's hands in his and gently stroked the skin with his thumb. He had an earnest look upon his face and his eyes were imploring at Harry. Harry's mind zeroed in on the fact that the man was holding his hand, his hand was enclosed in two large and strong hands. The stroking to his palm was giving him goosebumps on his arms and making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up on end. He was ultra-aware of the touch and the more the man stroked the more the contact sent shivers up his arms and pleasure started to pulse up from his hands.

"What is it?" Harry asked, flicking his eyes to the hands holding his and feeling that thumb brush over his skin once more. Harry felt his stomach muscles clench, nearly flinching at the strange sensation.

"I did have an important matter I wished to discuss with you however it is of a delicate nature. It is something I believe you need to be aware of. I had discovered it upon our first meeting but over the last week I have learned more upon the subject. It is of the upmost importance that you be made aware of this issue. Will you listen to my words and wait till I am finished explaining?"

"Okay." Harry breathed frowning heavily and trying to think through the focus-steeling touch which was praying on his conscious mind.

"When we first met it was because we were both preoccupied with admiring that wonderful fountain in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic. I cannot speak for what held your fascination however mine as held by the engraving announcing which magical beings had equal status in this land. Then we collided and for my part I was fascinated by you. Your beauty is astounding Harry Potter, your eyes most especially hold more beauty in them than my treasure temple holds jewels."

Harry blinked and flushed at the outrageous compliment. He went to pull his hand back but Saladin's hands tightened around his.

The Sheikh stepped forwards. "Do not forget your words Harry Potter, you promised to hear all of what I have to say."

"Very well." Harry clenched his jaw and steeled up his nerves, trying desperately to shove down his indignation and embarrassment at the compliments.

"When we bumped into each other I felt a connection to you. I am sure you felt a connection to me too though you might not have recognised it as such." Harry opened his mouth to shout but the Sheikh stepped slightly closer again, towering over Harry and continued to speak before Harry could even utter a sound. "It was probably nothing more to you than feeling some peculiar instinct to do something out of character, like look down or show me your neck, tilt your head, acquiesce to whatever I wished…I do not know what it would have manifested itself as because the reaction is different for each person. You would have felt something, perhaps there were different instincts trying to get you to do as they wished. As I said, I do not know, however the reaction was strong for me Harry Potter and thus I am sure you must have had one as well."

"I…" Harry was about to tear into the man for saying such preposterous things when his mind flickered back to their first meeting and Harry found himself remembering that strange sensation that came over him when he met Saladin's eyes for the first time. He _had_ felt something warring inside him and he remembered wanting to turn his head to the side in Saladin's presence but didn't let himself. He had felt another load of warring instincts when Saladin had walked into his office earlier, and again he had felt something throughout the evening. He couldn't dismiss the man's words completely. Harry shut his mouth and decided patience was a virtue, he would find his answers in whatever Saladin had to say.

Saladin seemed to take his silence for the confirmation it was as something lightened in his eyes. "I see you suspect much as I did. When I left you I too doubted what I had felt. Your reaction to my inquiry of your name was quite telling and I found information on you far quicker than I ever would have suspected. What I found impressed me and helped me understand. From all your challenges I can see why you were made into a Destined. From the scandalous tales in the local tabloids from many years ago, and from your celibacy I was have been able to circumstantiate my theory. This is my important news for you Harry, this could help make your life so much happier and I am distressed that nobody discovered this earlier for you. I am humbled and honoured for the chance to explain things to you especially considering my own circumstances."

"Right…so what is it? What could reading about my past tell you? What could my failed relationship _possibly_ tell you?" Saladin's hand tightened again around Harry's though now the man moved one of his hands away and placed it on Harry's cheek.

"Shh, I am sorry to have distressed you my dear, beautiful Harry. It was never my intention to hurt or to torment you." The hand on Harry's cheek stroked his skin gently and Harry desperately wished to turn away or jerk back. He wouldn't let himself be intimidated though.

"Look, tell me what you know because I am seriously beginning to lose my temper."

Saladin pulled back, removing his hand from Harry's cheek though still holding his hand.

"Ah I should have known you would react this way, with temper and power. It is in your nature. If I hadn't already known then this would have confirmed it for me."

"Confirmed what?!" Harry snarled.

"What do you know of Dragonette Destined?"

"I'm sorry, what?" The abrupt change of tracks had Harry stuttering and feeling a little lost, and more than a little angry still.

"A Dragonette Destined? Or even a Dragonette, have you any knowledge of what they are?"

"No I don't…obviously." Harry added the last word almost spitefully; he hoped it would goad Saladin into revealing more and actually reaching the punch line to all his strange words and act.

Saladin took a breath in like a professor steeling himself up for a lecture. "A Dragonette Destined is a person who showed ability, a skill, or any form of greatness in front of a Dragon which impressed the Dragon. Now as I am sure you know Dragons are collectors, they love and jealously guard amazing things and when a person is shown to be mazing they do what they can to keep that person. If they cannot take the person for their hoard then what they do instead is a complex piece of Dragon Magic which is still to this day not understood. The Dragon marks the impressive person as a treasure, as a mate or as a Destined for a Dragonette who is able to claim them."

Saladin paused. "Dragonettes are the humans, witches and wizards, who descend from Dragons. Because of their human form Dragonettes come into contact with the Dragonette Destined and claim the person, taking them into their mateship and family to live happily for the rest of their lives. Some Dragonettes do not have a connection to the Dragonette Destined, we do not know why but it has been theorised that the connection can only be made by a Dragonette descending from the same species of Dragon which marked the Destined."

"Right…so what does that have to do with me exactly?" Harry asked, petulantly.

"When I met you," Saladin spoke patiently, "we had a connection which I was not expecting. When I read your history I found that during the war you released a Ukrainian Ironbelly from Gringotts. Anyone who would do that for a Dragon would undoubtedly be marked as a Dragonette Destined. However you showed no signs of a person who was marked which frustrated me all week long. Normally an unmated Destined would feel depression, tiredness, quick to anger, quick to upset, be overly protective of family, aggressiveness, isolation from others…even a need to nurture other beings usually children. I could find no record of you experiencing any of those symptoms which couldn't be explained by your position and past history."

"Then I came across information about your failed relationship with a Miss Weasley, and you will have to forgive my impropriety for what I am about to divulge. Reading about how you failed to reach an aroused state because of no medical reason, and despite numerous tries which were all published in that awful paper, I found the missing piece of evidence I needed. A Destined is unable to reach arousal that isn't influenced by them, by another Destined or by a Dragonette. That confirmed what you are Harry, and it confirmed the connection I felt upon our first meeting and a connection which I still feel today."

Harry felt utterly incredulous! That was one hell of a story to weave. Such intricate fabrication was utterly absurd and Harry felt like a fool for ever trusting the man before him. Obviously Saladin was insane and…

"I brought books for you in case you found it hard to believe. I know the information seems so extraordinary…too extraordinary to have any truth behind it. However I urge you to consider my words as I speak no lie." Saladin pulled a bag from beneath his robe, a bag Harry had not seen before, and handed it over. Harry took a quick glance inside the book and noticed the titles of the books. Dragons and their Kin, H Ridgebit. The Phenomena that is a Dragonette Destined, by W Po. Equality of Rights Legislation, by H Granger, P Overwater, L Morrish and Co. Hermione Granger…one of these books was by Hermione. That must mean there is something truthful in Saladin's words. Merlin…had the man thought of everything?

Harry pulled out the book and flicked to the foreword where, in bright bold letters was written 'by Hermione Granger'.

'_It is important to firstly understand what a Dragonette is. Firstly, a Dragonette is the result of a Dragon mating with a human, or a Dragonette mating with a human. They are humanoid beings with the ability to change into a Dragon form, of which the species differs depending upon which species of Dragon they descend, during periods of extreme anger, distress, aggressiveness or protectiveness._

'_A Dragonette Destined is a person who has demonstrated a strength of character, will, or skill before a Dragon who, impressed, uses an obscure and unknown form of magic to mark the person as 'worthy' of being a mate of a Dragonette. A Dragonette Destined is also the name given to offspring of a Dragonette Mateship who are unable to assume Dragon form.'_

'_A mateship is a group of Dragonette Destined mated with a Dragonette._

'_It is within this legislation that we detail the laws and regulations agreed upon by our Ministry for Magic and the Dragonette Council wherein we outline the equality and rights of Dragonettes and Dragonette Destined.'_

'_For more information on Dragonette's and all areas related unto them, please read the following books: Dragons and their Kin (2003), by Harvey Ridgebit.'_

Harry stopped reading. He swallowed and shut his eyes trying desperately to process all the information just given to him. It was too much…so much had happened in his life and now more!

Dragonettes. Destined? Mateship? Equality? Him?

It couldn't be true. It all had to be an elaborate joke. Some crazy hoax concocted to make him look the fool. Something to humiliate him further, something to depress him further as if being the only person alone and unattached out of all his friends wasn't reason enough for him to be depressed.

But what…what if it was true? What if it was possible? If he was a Dragonette…

A lump grew in Harry's throat and he swallowed again trying to clear it.

"So what…how…I'm a Destined?" Harry nearly winced at the sound of his own voice. It sounded broken, cracked and harsh. It was too much…far too much information.

"Yes Harry, all evidence points to that conclusion." Saladin's eyes searched Harry's face for a few moments, the red-brown orbs flicking over him staring intently. Then the man's face relaxed, his eyelids fluttered and he took a step forwards heaving a large sigh. Saladin lifted his hands and put them on the top of Harry's arms rubbing up and down. "Oh Harry, dear beautiful Harry. It pained me so to be the one to reveal all of this to you. My absolution will come, I pray, when you understand the hope this brings to you."

"Hope how?" Harry croaked and was ashamed to feel a tear rise in his right eye. He wiped it furiously away, face burning with shame. Saladin smiled kindly and rubbed up and down his arms again before putting weighted hands on Harry's shoulders.

"I read of the pain you suffered from being unable to be intimate." Harry flinched, full body involuntarily flinched. Saladin tightened his hold a little, squeezing the muscles reassuringly. "Knowing that you are a Dragonette Destined, knowing that you will be a part of a mateship where you will have that intimacy is a wonderful thing."

"It doesn't seem wonderful. It seems like a curse. I didn't ask to be a-a-a Destined or whatever! It has ruined my chance of happiness with the one person I loved. Because of this, and I'm not entirely convinced I believe it, I was humiliated and demeaned and had my chance of a family _ruined_. From where I stand Saladin, this is not a _wonderful thing._" Harry cursed bitterly, wanting desperately to get out from under those hands but at the same time wanting to revel under them.

"Calm, Harry, calm. It is wonderful. It is a beautiful thing. The love and belonging in a mateship is unparalleled. I know when I found my own mates I was filled with such indescribable joy. I had people around me to love and showed with my affections. We made love and shared in our love, celebrated our love and had children to make our family complete. To tie us all together. To be chosen for that, even if it was because you showed some kindness or some strength of character, that is such an honour. You have such a wonderful life ahead of you Harry. Oh to be found as worthy by such a wonderful being…I am envious." Harry stared. Saladin was in a mateship…well he had said as much earlier on. He was in a mateship and had thirteen children.

"You…you are in a mateship. Are you a Dragonette Destined too?"

"No, no, I am not so fortunate to be a Destined. No, I am a Dragonette." Harry jerked and took a half a step backwards. Saladin's hands immediately let go of his shoulders and the man's face crumpled into a deeply concerned expression showing abject remorse. "Please do not think less of me for it, dear Harry. I was born to this. Do not begrudge me for what I was born into. Be thankful for it, for if I were not a Dragonette I would surely not be able to tell what you suffer needlessly for."

Saladin stepped forwards and put a hand on Harry's cheek. Harry was completely stunned silly by this entire situation. Saladin, the Dragonette, claimed he was a Dragonette Destined. Saladin said that it was because he was chosen as a Destined that his relationship with Ginny, his wonderful Ginny, had failed. Saladin was promising that being a Destined was a good thing…Saladin who could be a…who could…why would he…was he…

"Are you sure?"

Saladin sighed again. "You doubt me still. I cannot blame you. There is no reason for you to take my words as gospel. The books will help you understand Harry, of that I am sure. Read them. They will get rid of any lingering doubts and help you understand what a blessing this is." Harry felt something bubbling up inside of him. Panic and desperation…if it was true…if he was…Saladin had found all this out, he could continue to help…if it was helping. Saladin was the one with the answers, if he was sure they were the answers for Harry. Something inside of him bounded up again, a buried instinct telling him to seek Saladin, to seek the man before him because it recognised something inside him.

"No. I don't want to read the books. Just tell me! Are _you_ sure?" Harry whispered, fear, hope and disbelief coating his cackled voice. Saladin took another step forward, the hand on Harry's cheek stroking and lifting Harry's face upwards so they were still eye to eye. Red-brown eyes swam with depth and promise glittered inside them. Harry was so close he could see a flecks of a lighter colour in Saladin's eyes, a small mole barely there at the corner of his left eye.

"I am absolutely sure precious Harry."

And then Saladin kissed Harry. Strong thin lips pressed over Harry's and Harry's lips parted immediately either out of shock or the sheer force Saladin pressed into him with. Harry didn't stay shocked for ages but just as indignance rushed through him Saladin pressed closer and his entire body plastered against the front of Harry's.

Harry forgot his upset at the sudden kiss as pleasure spiked through him. Saladin's breath puffed out through his nose and blew over Harry's cheek. Harry gasped a little and those lips moved, caressing him. Harry's eyes rolled and he shut them surrendering to the kiss, enjoying the intimate contact with another person the likes of which he hadn't experienced since he and Ginny broke up.

"Oh Harry…" Saladin breathed as he pulled back from the kiss a moment. Then the lips were back on Harry's and this time it was far more consuming. Those soft lips coaxed more of a response from Harry. Harry gave into it, allowed it. His hands rose up and gripped Saladin's shoulders…where does one touch another man while being kissed? Harry didn't know what to do with his hands. He left them on Saladin's shoulders. Saladin pushed a hand around Harry's waist and pulled him closer meshing their bodies.

Arousal shot through Harry. Saladin moved his body slightly and the arousal grew.

_Oh dear Merlin…I'm a Dragonette Destined…_

* * *

_AN: And there's another chapter for you! Next one will be up at some point on either Friday the 7th or Sunday the 9th.  
_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any profits from posting this fanfiction.

**Summary:** Non-Epilogue compliant. A depressed, lonely Harry literally stumbles into a man who seduces him with answers to Harry's problems, hands him the promise of happiness…and an invisible shackle to a gilded prison. With answers he hates in his hand will Harry be able to find the elusive happiness he deserves?

**Pairings:** HP/GW. HP/OMC. HP/OFC. HP/TH (Terrence Higgs). HP/Other Rowling Characters.

* * *

**Dragonette Debacle – Chapter 3 – Arguments and Agreements.**

**14****th**** August 2007 – Harry age 28years.**

"Right then. Have a good night everybody. Any problems, you know where the floo is, just give me a call." Harry addressed his night aurors as he did up the tree clasps at the neck of his cloak.

"Get out of here boss!"

"Go have fun!"

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Harry pinned the auror who shouted that with a deep stare.

"And that limits my activity how, Brekenridge?" Harry asked, voice tight with humour.

Brekenridge coloured but laughed his jolly laugh. If it wasn't for the fact that Brekenridge was only twenty and didn't have the same Weasley hair then Harry would have ranked him as a conspirer with the Weasley twins at Howarts. He certainly lived up to their name if his school record was anything to go by. He also had a good relationship with George Weasley, spending a lot of time reminiscing about Fred despite the fact that Douglas Brekenridge never knew him and only knew of him.

"Well, you know sir, I'd _never_ even think to do something like…ooohhh…paint my house all the colours of the rainbow and then hold a séance for Jago the Bicorn while absolutely starkers."

Silence filled the office before everyone burst out laughing. Some aurors doubled over clutching their stomachs while Brekenrdge looked rather pleased with himself as he pasted a confused 'what did I say' look on his face.

"I'll take that under advisement Brekenridge." Harry said and made for the door.

"Well…Come to think of it I would do the starkers part. Since it's a date and all, perhaps you should really think about the naked part, sir. What are those muggles who don't wear clothes called? You know the ones, bareists or butt-nakedists? The-the nudists! Yeah, nudists! You should become a nudist for your date tonight sir! You'd get plenty of action like that I bet."

Harry didn't know whether to curse the man or just let himself combust of shame. He settled for not turning around but shouting over his shoulder as he increased his pace to the door.

"You are going the right way at insuring you get more action, Brekenridge. I'll stick you on recruit duel training for the next two weeks."

"Awww, sir!"

"Good night everybody."

"Night boss."

Harry opened the door and slipped through it quickly. Once the door closed there was a brief moment's peace before Harry heard a ruckus of teasing and jesting and shouting coming from the office behind him. He chuckled and shook his head. Working with the aurors was like working with a bunch of teenagers. Moody, teasing, high on hormones, full of innuendo, lots of fighting, loathing for paperwork, and lots and lots of pissing about.

Harry walked down the corridor and pressed the button for the lift so he could get down to the floo, his smile didn't leave his face even though the lift said it was seven floors away. Harry had been a lot happier recently. For the past two weeks in fact it had almost been like a weight had been lifted from him. Harry could even pin point the exact time it felt like his burdens had been lifted, like his life was finally going in the right direction.

It had happened on the pier in the early hours of the 1st of August just after Saladin had kissed him. He hated to sound like a sappy teenage girl but there we had it. Saladin seemed like he kissed Harry's troubles away.

Being a Dragonette Destined was different but at the same time very much the same. Knowing what he was, had boosted Harry's self-esteem, shut the door on the many unanswered questions and regrets he had, and also given him a lover who wanted him not just for him but because his instincts drove them together. Harry couldn't profess to feel the same instincts as Saladin had, Harry definitely didn't feel many of the urges that Saladin had but then again, as Saladin had said, Harry had spent so long repressing those instincts because he didn't know they were part and parcel of being a Destined that now he couldn't recognise the instincts for what they were.

Saladin was certain though. And since Saladin had plenty of experience and understanding, and because Saladin had helped Harry sort out what he was, Harry was very inclined to believe the man. Saladin had classified Harry as a Dominant Dragonette Destined because of his ingrained nature to fight against foes and keep people safe. He also said it was because Harry didn't like to submit to him, and that was very true.

Harry didn't like to turn his back on Saladin, for unknown reasons, and didn't like to give everything over to Saladin either. Saladin said those were all traits of a Dominant or a very wary submissive. Harry had queried why he wasn't a submissive and that was when he was told that he couldn't be a submissive because he was a warrior, not a house wife. Harry would have become indignant but Saladin had kissed him at that point and taken him to bed.

Harry arrived at the floo and stepped in stating his destination. He was going on another date tonight. Saladin was taking him to dinner and then to the muggle theatre though no doubt they would both end up in bed together by the end of the evening. Saladin had introduced Harry to sexual pleasure last week after one week of courting, as Saladin called it. Harry had been utterly overwhelmed having never experienced those pleasures before except by his own hand.

Saladin's touch was sure and controlling and completely overwhelming. Harry had ridden the pleasure to ecstasy. Saladin had then told him they should fall to bed with each other often because he would never tire of the way Harry wore bliss. Harry just felt embarrassed because he never lasted long. He was getting better though, slowly but surely he was learning to handle the pleasure and how to give it. Everything was exciting and Saladin was patient and controlled with everything. Harry was having an amazing time.

* * *

**15****th**** August 2007 – Harry age 27years.**

Harry thanked the Kreacher who served him and Saladin breakfast and tucked into his hearty meal. Sure, it was only smoked salmon on scrambled eggs and toast but it was a large portion and would keep Harry going through his long day at work.

"I do wish you would reconsider going into work today my dearest." Saladin said, voice silky smooth and low.

Harry spared him a small glance and smile, content at the moment. "I have work to do."

"It is a Saturday, you work far too much. Seven days a week working is absurd."

Harry rolled his eyes but smiled. Saladin had been saying the same thing since last night, wanting Harry to not go into work so they could stay up later and enjoy each other's company more. Saladin had promised him pleasure beyond all imagination and the deepest intimacy one could share with another being if Harry would agree to not attend work the next morning. Harry didn't know why but he was absolutely adamant that he attend work and something was making him hold back from having full intercourse with Saladin. Apparently that was another trait of a Dominant Destined but…still Harry was going into work.

"I don't always work seven days a week but we are close to cracking this case and I have to be there. I can see you after work, I get off at nine."

"Yes I know but that is a very long interval in our intimacy." Saladin sighed. "And I wished to approach an important issue with you."

"Oh?" Harry reached out and took a sip of tea before setting the cup down and looking at Saladin. Those red-brown eyes were glittering strangely now, Harry wasn't sure he could decipher what that look meant but it was serious and had something there…

"Yes. It is something I have been longing for since we met and shared a kiss at the pier." Saladin reached over the table and gently traced Harry's lips with the pads of his fingers.

Harry smiled a little and allowed the touch for a moment before pulling his head back. "What is it?"

"I want, most desperately, for you to join my mateship." Saladin said; straight, clear and to the point.

Shock reverberated through Harry and nerves fluttered in his stomach. Harry blinked and stared at Saladin trying to convince himself that he had indeed just heard what he thought he had heard. Yes, yes he had just heard that.

"Are you serious?"

"Always, dearest Harry."

Harry swallowed nervously. That was so sudden, it was all so unexpected! Shouldn't they try dating more? Two weeks was hardly long enough! "I barely…we've only known each other two weeks! That is no-"

Saladin interrupted Harry and took hold of Harry's hand, gripping it tightly. "Two weeks is a long time to Dragonette's. Mating is fast and instinctual. It is not like marriage or bonding. It is driven by the instincts the Dragons gave us. Instinctually we know we are bound together, can you not feel our connection still Harry? I feel it as vividly as I see the green in your eyes. My instincts are grating at me to claim you, to keep you and adore you my treasure. Does yours not drive you to me? Our connection is so deep, so true, that you must be feeling something by now! Even a repression of instincts should not enable you to deny our bond!"

"I don't…" Harry frowned trying to think but going round and round in circles with his shock at the topic and the vehemence with which Saladin spoke.

"You return to me, night after night, beloved. You come to me and we have not spent a night apart in nearly two weeks! Does that not tell you that our dragon magic wants us together?" Saladin's eyes were wide, imploring but glittering darkly. Harry wondered if his denial and his confusion with his new status as a Destined was causing the Dragonette hurt.

"I'm sorry I don't know…I mean I like our time together but I don't feel anything like a bond. I don't know what it feels like, I just know I want to spend time with you but I don't know if that is instinct driving me on or not. This is all new to me. It's all so big and such a shock still…"

"Ah…I…I am disappointed my dear." Saladin drew his hand back and cast his eyes away to his breakfast.

Guilt welled up inside Harry but Harry couldn't deny that he didn't know of his instincts or anything driving him to Saladin. All his instincts were telling him was that they were busy fighting themselves, two sets of instincts fighting each other still. It was a constant battle that never seemed to die down. Something in him screamed patience, caution, and sexual reticence while another set wanted him close to Saladin, to give in and to embrace the pleasure. Harry didn't know which set to trust, he had always trusted his gut instincts but they were no help in this situation.

"I'm sorry, Saladin. The only thing I can say is that it's all too new to me to understand." Harry apologised hoping to appease his guilt and the pain he had caused Saladin.

The man sighed again but lifted his head and gave Harry a smile that somehow did not quite reach his eyes. "It is okay. I understand. And I shall remain patient. Allow me to help guide you with your instincts though my beautiful Harry, let us bot work towards you recognising those instincts as true so we can finally complete our destiny and mate."

Harry opened and then shut his mouth…he did not know what to say to that. He settled for watching Saladin who didn't appear to mind there being no answer.

Saladin had a considering look on his face, head tilted to the side and staring at Harry. "Perhaps we should spend more time together. Our brief interludes with each other are probably more detrimental than good to helping you accept your Dragon magic and instincts."

"We spend all my spare time together already."

"Could we not have a weekend together my dear? Would you not grant me that? One weekend together, two days and two nights were we do not leave each other's company?"

"I…I…it all depends on the case load. I'll see what I can do, I suppose." Harry said weakly. He didn't particularly want to take time off work. He loved work…well, perhaps that was going a little far. He enjoyed his work, especially more recently he had been a lot more cheerful and able to get a lot more out of his work. Every time they closed a case Harry felt his heart soar with triumph and pride. Even when he wasn't involved directly in that case he felt all those things but even more pride because he was proud of the aurors who accomplished it.

Still…Harry supposed one day off next week wouldn't hurt _if_ they had finished the Gwenda Llywellyn case.

* * *

**25****th**** August 2007 – Harry age 17years.**

"Auror Potter Sir? The Minister will see you now." Harry nodded at Oretta one of Kingsley's secretaries and stood up. He stretched from sitting in the waiting room chair for the last hour. His meeting with Kingsley had needed to be postponed because Kingley's previous meeting was taking longer than expected. So Harry had waited patiently but those chairs were not comfortable and Harry didn't want to be rude and transfigure it into something more suited to him so he put up with the discomfort.

Entering Kingsley's office Harry saw the man looking tired and worn out as he poured himself a brandy. Kinglsey gestured to the brandy in a silent offer. Harry declined; he didn't drink on duty ever and rarely did outside duty unless it was a special occasion. Kinglsey finished pouring himself a drink and moved back to sit at his desk, Harry took the chair on the opposite side.

"Harry…I'm sorry I had to call you in like this."

"It's no problem Kingsley. What's the matter?"

"Well as you know I have several agents, sometimes aurors and sometimes people in other professions, posted into various areas of the wizarding community so that I get feedback and what have you."

Harry nodded, yes he knew all that. Kinglsey used his people to keep an eye on the public via the media, various departments, 'friends' of suspected unsavoury people. Harry had the same sort of network, it was very useful if a little underhanded, but at the end of the day when that informant did their job right Harry was often able to stop the oncoming tide.

The most recent of which had been the Llewellyn case which had taken a few months of undercover investigation but had led to the arrest of a Ring of Witches and Wizards involved with Gwenda Llywellyn, in abducting unsuspecting muggles from Cardiff and sending them to various muggle haters to vent their anger upon. There was still paperwork to process but they had rescued up to one hundred muggles and arrested nine magical people in connection with the case.

"Well, this is what my informant from the Daily Prophet has just passed along to me. Have a read." Kingsley pulled out a parchment from a file and slid it across the table to Harry. There in big bold letters at the top read **'Law Enforcement are Magical Rights Law Evaders'**.

Harry quickly scanned the rest of the article. There in black and white was a breakdown of the human rights laws which explained how much holiday people were entitled to and how much aurors had to have in order to remain healthy and function in their job properly. Openly it also stated how many of the top aurors took their holiday frequently and, somehow, the paper had gotten a hold of sick days and holiday records for different unnamed aurors and the article spoke about those. The most infuriating part of the article was where it stated bluntly that Harry James Potter, the Head of the Aurors, had not taken holiday for the last six years and had also not taken any sick days. It went on to state all of his hours and, while it patronisingly praised Harry for being such a dedicated 'Saviour of our Great Nation' it clearly outlined that he was breaking human rights laws.

"This is…!" Harry could not find the words.

"Yes, I know. However the biggest issue is that it will be printed tomorrow and I can do nothing to stop it. I have tried. I have pulled as many stings as I can subtly but to no avail. This will be printed tomorrow unless we can offer proof that it is tripe, or rectify the situation to lessen the blows." The look Kinglsey was giving him made Harry reign in his temper and try instead to squash down the dread that was building in his stomach.

"What is it you suggest?"

"I suggest that you take an immediate holiday period of six months, which is how much holiday you were entitled to take but never did. This six month holiday will even out the days you have missed and also includes days which the average person has off as sick in a year."

"But that's…nobody is going to believe that I'm taking a six month holiday?! Nobody takes holiday for half a year! They are going to know that you have spies at the Prophet and that we are doing this as a reaction to what they have said!"

"I know, which is why PR has suggested putting a different spin on it. They have suggested that you claim your extraordinary dedication to work is because of a passion for what you do but also because you have planned all along to take a long sabbatical a little later in your career so that you could travel and…oh what was it Rochelle said…ah yes 'to see the world which you have helped to save'. We could claim that you are taking the sabbatical earlier than originally planned because of the article in the press, and therefore because you did not want to upset the public you have decided to take a six month leave instead of the year of leave you were planning to take in 2012."

"But I wasn't planning on taking a year at all, Kinglsey! I wasn't planning on any holiday! I'm fine as I am! I see everything I want to see, I meet the people important to me…it's not like I'm not doing all the things normal people do because I work a lot!"

"I know, Harry, I know. However as the article pointed out some holiday in the auror department is mandatory, you have to take it. It was a rule that you enforce among your staff and yet have failed to enforce yourself. By spinning it to say you are taking a sabbatical earlier than planned because of the article we can control the outcry of this and turn things back on the prophet to show them that shoving their faces in where it doesn't belong fucks up important plans! Merlin knows they deserve some back lash at last!" Kinglsey growled then leaned forwards and rested his elbows on the desk, knitting his fingers together and looking so utterly serious that Harry almost closed his eyes to shy away from the tide of inevitable horridness that was coming.

"I'm afraid that I have to insist upon this holiday Harry. For the good of the Ministry and the Auror department I have to insist upon this six month Sabbatical effective as of tomorrow evening at eighteen hundred hours. You have until then to inform your Second and to leave instructions for the following six months. I see no reason for you to not be included in important decisions, but we will do that infrequently and while you are on you sabbatical, you are not to enter the auror department for duty until the 21st of February 2008."

Harry put his head in his hands and just breathed…lest he do something stupid like lose his temper or start to cry.

He just breathed.

* * *

**26****th**** August 2007 – Harry age 27years. The start of his sabbatical.**

"…or I would visit Charlie, I would take up a new hobby, perhaps play Quidditch – oh Quidditch! Yeah, I'd definitely play Quidditch all the time."

"Alright that's enough Ron, thank you." Hermione shushed her husband with an indulgent look but a dismissing wave. Ron shrugged and a tinge of colour flooded his cheeks. As Harry had come to expect from being around his friends the pair shared a loving look before turning back to Harry.

"Seriously guys. What am I going to do with _six bloody months_?! That's so much time, I barely know what to do with a day off, a week and I go insane but _six months_?"

"Well Harry, Ron did suggest taking up a hobby. That's a good idea. Or you could help me with my work, I could always use the help."

"Kingsley said I shouldn't even be seen to be doing ministry business because the press will be on it like thestrals to a steak." Harry groaned and gratefully leaned back into his chair.

Saladin put his arm around Harrys shoulder and tugged him closer so Harry was leaning into his warmth. It was comforting, Harry relaxed into the contact.

"Oh…then what about…" Hermione listed off several other options but she was rather limited with her choice of leisure activities because she was such a studious person. Her options included a lot of different educational themed courses.

"There is always another option." Saladin spoke softly but clearly. His exotic accent and strong voice cutting through the quiet conversation. Harry opened his eyes and looked at the man. Saladin's red-brown eyes seemed a little more red today though quite smoky too.

"Hm?"

Saladin smiled a gentle, tempting smile which was one that often lead to Saladin getting his way and them going to bed for a plethora of pleasurable activities.

"There is always the option that you come away with me. I have concluded my business here in England and long to see my Temple and my homes again. Perhaps, while you consider my other suggestion," here he gave Harry a meaningful look, "I could show you the world and my home countries. I have a home hidden in the muggle mines at Wieliczka which I know you will find stunning. They are salt mines where the clever muggles carved out huge masterpieces in the rock and in the walls of the caverns they made. I have a temple there and my incomplete mateship is housed there for the meantime.

"We could visit Prague, the city is magnificent during the winter when it's covered in snow. As is Krakow in Poland. The place I most long to show you is Turkey, my home for the present and where my largest and most glorious temple is, where I keep most of my treasures. Egypt is another place we could go, that is where I plan to move my mateship to soon, once I find a vista perfect enough to suit my wonders."

"Oh travelling! What a brilliant idea! Oh Harry, wouldn't you like to see the world? Think of what you could learn?! Think of what you could see! Oh that sounds like a marvellous idea Saladin." Hermione beamed at Saladin who gave her a modest nod of the head and a smile covered in honey.

"You are most gracious in your praise Hermione, however I admit to being rather underhanded with my offer."

Harry gave Saladin a sharp look, his warier instincts leaping up and crushing the instinct to give everything to Saladin.

"What would that be?" Hermione asked cautiously though she was grinning like a Cheshire cat. She liked the Sheikh, they all got on really well and Hermione was a good judge of character so Harry had been using her judgement to crush his annoying instincts.

"Why, I hope to convince my dearest Harry that I can provide him all he needs to live a most divine existence. I hope, ultimately, that he will agree to join my mateship and make me the happiest man alive."

Ron faked a gag but he was smiling. Hermione blushed and Harry felt himself flush too at the sappiness in the words but also at the intense look in Saladin's face.

"Oh well, Harry is taking his time. From what I understand, most Dragonette courtships last about a week. The longest record I could find of a courtship was two weeks. How long have you been courting now?"

"Three weeks, and while they have been the happiest of my existence so far I am longing for having him wholly, not just partially."

From there the topic turned to a comparison of what Hermione knew of Dragonettes and Saladin correcting her. Harry vaguely noticed that Saladin never gave her additional information, just corrected what Saladin called 'mistaken interpretation of habits'. Harry and Ron made a list of things Harry could do while on holiday and a list on all the updates that Harry expected to receive from Ron about the Auror Department.

Towards the end of the evening they all drifted back into a group and it was decided that Harry would go with Saladin around Europe. Hours later, Harry slid under the covers of his bed completely exhausted and still rather upset about having forced holiday but a little happier with having a plan to combat any boredom.

"I shall order our Portkey to Poland tomorrow, beloved."

Harry nodded and lay down, thumping his head into his pillow to find a comfortable position. Saladin chuckled from his position on the bed and leaned closer, snaking an arm around Harry's waist and tugging him back into Saladin's body. Lips caught and sucked on Harry's earlobe briefly before Saladin rested his head gently on Harry's cheek, cheek to cheek and body to body.

"Come now, as unhappy you are at the forced holiday, could you share my enthusiasm for travelling? Nothing would make me happier than taking you to my homes, except taking you there as my mate, my precious Harry. I am sure you will adore my homes and my temple will become a place of refuge for you I am sure." Saladin chuckled breathily.

Harry wiggled a bit and Saladin lifted his head so Harry could roll onto his back and look up at Saladin. "I am excited to see your houses, they do sound lovely. I'm just…I've never had a holiday before. It's going to be hard for me to not have something to concentrate on."

"You shall have me." Saladin swore and pressed their lips together. Harry rolled his eyes but joined in the kiss, taking the comfort he sought and enjoying the sensation. "You shall have me and I am sure I can provide you with plenty to concentrate on."

"I'm sure you will." Harry chuckled. "I'll rely on you to keep me busy then. To keep me away from boredom."

"Oh beloved. I shall lead you to so many places and introduce you to so many people that you will not have the time to be bored. I will amaze you in every possible way. Come, let me amaze your senses now, give you a hint of what it could be like if we mate. When you see my homes, I am sure you will not resist becoming mine all together."

Saladin sealed their lips again and trailed his hand down the front of Harry's body. Harry moved to help that hand find the place he most wanted it to go but with one brush Saladin pulled away.

Harry made a noise of protest and opened his eyes looking up into Saladin's dark smile filled with promises and desire. Harry felt a shiver go up his spine and Saladin laughed before diving down and touching and feeling and controlling.

It was sublime. Perhaps having unfettered access to that kind of pleasure would make the six months bearable.

* * *

**31****st**** August 2007 – Harry age 27years.**

Harry found himself yet again completely stunned into muteness at the beauty around him.

They had been travelling around Poland for a while, and had made some quick trips here and there into surrounding countries. Harry had seen a muggle war prison camp called Auschwitz where they had come upon a list with one of Saladin's relatives on it. Saladin said the list was before Oleksiy met a Dragon and became a Destined. Apparently Oleksiy was a poor man, so poor that he couldn't afford to attend Durmstrang or even get a wand so while a wizard he had to live as a muggle, because of his so called 'demon worship' he was shipped to the camp. It was because Oleksiy survived the prison camp that he was made into a Destined.

They had visited Prague, though there was no snow. They had visited Kracow and Warsaw. Harry again got to see muggle world war relics. He saw buildings that astounded him and architecture in both the Wizarding and the muggle realms that were so beautiful that he almost wished for a camera to photograph what he saw.

Once he briefly mentioned a camera to Saladin though and…well…Saladin had bought him a top of the range wizarding camera and had allowed Harry no excuses as to why the camera was too much. Harry, in the end, accepted the gift.

Now though, they were in the Wieliczka Salt Mine, several hundred metres below ground and through a magical wall that separated the beautiful muggle art from a place Saladin called home for a while. It was a large cavern hollowed out into the rock and had a natural hot spring in the corner that Saladin said not only heated the room but made for an exquisite bath so perfect that one would wish they could stay in it all the time.

To the left of the cavern was a large bed no smaller than nine feet long and eight feet wide. It was such a magnificent bed dressed with rich greens and whites that it made Harry wish he was childish enough to run and jump onto it disturbing the mountain of pillows that decorated the top of the bed. The pillars at the four corners of the bed arched up and over twisted into a knotted mass at what would be the centre of the bed only it was ten feet high. Over the knots and weaves that the wood made was hung an opaque green blanket which draped down towards the bed making it seem like the humungous bed was wrapped in a gentle cocoon.

The luxury was unimaginable.

There was a chest of drawers and a wardrobe both made of wood which seemed to have melted into the stone walls….or have been swallowed up by the walls. Harry wanted to open the doors to see if the rock had eaten away at the space inside the wardrobe just like it seemed to have eaten away at the outside of it. Only three inches of the wardrobes depth was not encased in stone, and the doors at the front were untouched. The rest of the furniture seemed imbedded in the rock. Magic was a wonderful thing.

There was a kitchen, dining room and lounge apparently trough a small cave off to the very far left and on from that down a couple of narrow passages so they were well hidden was Saladin's temple which Saladin said he would not show Harry straight away. Everything was beautiful and…oh Harry didn't have all the adjectives to describe how magnificent everything was.

"You approve?"

"I…" Harry couldn't say anything. He settled for staring around the room gobsmacked.

Saladin laughed and crossed to a recliner chair and began stripping off his robes.

"Perhaps a warm soak will loosen your tongue my dear. Would you care to join me, precious?" Saladin queried as he stripped.

Harry, still unable to utter a sound, nodded and started stripping too. Moments later he entered the warm water with a splash and a laugh full of delight. Saladin grinned and leaned back against the edge of the pool.

"Oh Saladin, this is incredible! It looks so beautiful. I have never seen a room like this. I have never been in a bath like this either and it's not even a bath. This is like…This is like…This is like the room of requirement going over the top and taking the idea of luxury and turning it into a paradise! You…you have the most amazing room!" Harry laughed at his own inability to express his amazement. Instead he paddled over to Saladin and plastered himself up against the man's front. Slick naked skin slid over more naked skin making the friction delicious and sensual.

"I am glad you like it Harry." Saladin ran a wet hand through Harry's hair, tangling his fingers in the messy hair and gripping tightly. Saladin pulled Harry into a deep open mouthed kiss that was hot and sinful. "I only wish to please you, my treasure."

More kisses, this time insistent and deep. They seemed to scorch through Harry's core and fry his pleasure centres. As arousal built, Harry pulled back away and bit his lip, sucking on it and savouring the taste that was uniquely Saladin. Saladin's eyes were ablaze, glittering in the slight shadow in the candlelight cave.

"I have loved my time with you." Harry settled on saying after struggling for a moment for the right words. He looked back around the cave and feasted upon the view of splendour.

"And I you." Saladin murmured and pressed close again, though not insisting on a kiss. Harry leaned into the hold still admiring the view. A few moments went by before Saladin spoke again. "I do not wish for our time to ever end. I know I have asked you night on every day since we began our trip however I long for this still and must ask again."

Harry sighed. He knew what was coming, knew what Saladin would ask again. He had declined every time so far, and hadn't given in to the full intercourse yet either. But he was losing his will to fight. The instinct inside him urging him to be careful had been steadily quietening, it was barely more than a whisper now. The more time Harry had spent with Saladin the more he saw the goodness in the man. There had only been the occasional times when he had seen something or thought he sensed something wrong, but Harry could dismiss that as overactive imagination or becoming paranoid. Slowly but surely he was listening to the thing inside of him that told him to trust, to give in.

And he was. Very slowly Harry was giving in.

"Would you be mine forever, share this splendour with me for the rest of our lives? Will you mate with me and complete my mateship with your exquisite beauty and amazing skills?"

Harry sighed and shut his eyes. He couldn't say no again could he? Well…he could say no but…but he didn't really want to any more.

Saladin pulled back from the hug as if sensing something different and stared down at Harry, dark gaze searching Harry's face. Harry met the gaze knowing that his emotions probably showed on his face.

"I will give you everything you want beloved. You would have your career still, if you wanted it. You would have my love. You would have the love of your other mates. You would be able to have your own children. You would live in the extravagance of a prince and palace for the rest of your days. Mate with me, Harry and be complete."

Harry bit his lip and tried to calm that quiet voice murmuring its warnings and…and its fears. The wish to give in grew, fluttering and hammering inside his chest. He had wanted a family for so long. A family and a lover and…and a safe home that looked beautiful and wasn't a dark prison. Grimmauld place, while having changed with Harry redecorating it, still had a dark shadow cast on it from its past.

If Harry could live in this place, in this exquisite, overindulgent place which was just one of the places Saladin lived in then…then he could have a happy family in a beautiful setting. It would be ideal…and he would be a settled mate within a mateship. No more warring instincts, no more depression, no more feeling like he didn't fit into his own skin. Saladin made things better, he promised everything Harry wanted. He was a good man…he was a good person and he wanted Harry. Harry wanted him too so whatever reservations Harry had about the arrangement were probably just paranoia and…and…and Harry wanted somebody to love. He didn't love Saladin yet but he did feel adored with Saladin and he wanted Saladin's company and…why did he fight against the one person who could offer him everything he wanted in life?

"I will…how do we…?" Harry whispered. Saladin roared, an unholy noise coming from the mouth of a man. Scales flashed on the man's skin, pale white scales on tanned skin, before disappearing. Saladin's eyes glowed red then back to that red-brown. Harry almost felt fear until Saladin grinned happily and gathered him close.

"I am delirious with happiness my wonderful Harry. You have made my Dragon so unbelievably happy today. And never fear what will come. I shall lead you, I will always lead you. You must only follow, as always." Harry nodded and took a deep breath as though that would help him. Then he allowed himself to be helped from the pool and over to the large bed.

Saladin pushed him down onto the bed then climbed on top of him looming over him with a look of desire and victory.

"My beautiful, Emerald. Oh, how I have waited for this my treasure. This will be a night you will never forget."

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AN: My thanks to everybody who reviewed, and again my thanks to the wonderful Scioneeris who beta read this story for me.

This was not the horrible chapter which I was dreading posting - apparently I don't remember how I split up my story. **Warning**: Chapter 4 is horrifying and I was appalled that I was writing something like it. Be **warned**, but please proceed and continue reading with me. Next update will hopefully be out next week, on Sunday the 16th of December anywhere between 11am and 7pm (UK time).


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any profits from posting this fanfiction.

**Summary:** Non-Epilogue compliant. A depressed, lonely Harry literally stumbles into a man who seduces him with answers to Harry's problems, hands him the promise of happiness…and an invisible shackle to a gilded prison. With answers he hates in his hand will Harry be able to find the elusive happiness he deserves?

**Pairings:** HP/GW. HP/OMC. HP/OFC. HP/TH (Terrence Higgs). HP/Other Rowling Characters.

**WARNINGS: RAPE. Emotional manipulation. Forced intercourse.**

**AN: This is the horrible chapter. I hated writing it, I hate reading it and I hate having to post it. It is, unfortunately, a part of the plot. Read the warnings! I can't stress that enough! While not graphic, it gives enough information to be highly unpleasant.  
**

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**Dragonette Debacle – Chapter 4 – True Colours.**

**4****th**** September 2007**

Harry winced as he sat down on the bed. He was still sore. They had only had anal intercourse about three times, once to mate and twice to enjoy themselves but the last time they had had sex like that was two days ago and Harry still felt discomfort. Saladin assured him that discomfort was usual for those who had never had intercourse like that before. Saladin assured him that it would get better, as would the enjoyment of the intercourse. Saladin had explained that Harry probably didn't enjoy the anal sex as much as he could have because he was a dominant. But since they had both reached completion several times, Harry supposed getting pleasure from having something in his arse didn't rank as high on his list of priorities. He still found pleasure from other sexual activities.

Harr shifted over and ignored the twinges it caused him. He could recall how utterly adored he felt as they mated. He had always wanted to be adored for who he was and Saladin did adore him. Harry loved being with Saladin. He even thought he loved Saladin.

Saladin called him 'beloved' often and regularly professed his love. Saladin's reaction upon Harry's confession to thinking he loved him was amazing. Saladin had taken him to bed and kissed him all over his body. Harry had never felt as special as he did then. Yeah, he loved Saladin and he would forever be thankful that the man loved him.

Rolling onto his side, Harry turned to the page in his book. He had started reading novels a couple of days into his 'sabbatical'. Oddly, it was Ron who lent him the books. They were about mysteries and a wizarding auror who was chasing down a rogue hit man. The wizard was called Campion Travis and currently in the book, Campion had discovered that the latest victim to the hit man was a muggle prostitute had traces of a love potion brewed back in Diagon Alley.

"Harry? Emerald?" Oh Harry wished Saladin would break that awful habit of calling him 'Emerald'.

"I'm here, Saladin." He called, sitting up and wincing once again.

"Ah, you are in the bedroom. Perfect. I have a surprise for you." Saladin announced as he walked through the cave entrance. Harry raised an eyebrow, curious but not overly curious.

Saladin chuckled then waved his hand gesturing for somebody to come into the room. Harry stood up just as a woman entered wrapped in a deep blue sari. The woman had long black hair tied in a long braid and many bangles on her wrists. It was, if anything, her eyes that captured Harry though. Despite obviously being of Indian origins with her brown skin and dark hair, the woman had bright sapphire blue eyes.

"Emerald? Meet my Sapphire. Nabih, this is Harry Potter, the one I have told you so much about." Nabih smiled and did a small curtsey. "Harry, my treasure, this is Nabih. As you know, I went back to my mateship to let them know that I would be bringing you to them soon and all were eager to meet you but none more so eager than Nabih. She has been desiring a child for a while now but none of my mateship was willing to provide her with one were they, Nabih?"

"No, Saladin." The woman replied obligingly.

Saladin smiled and slid an arm around her shoulders while he rested his other hand on her stomach. "My mateship has enough children at present but my beautiful Sapphire has yet to have a child. When I told her of your desire to have a child of your own she all but demanded I bring her to you so you could have a child together." Nabih looked at the floor as if shy of her behaviour. Harry frowned but hope flared up inside him. Saladin continued talking. "She is fertile now, her womb is ready for a child and she wishes to wait no longer. She has begged me to allow this and I, as you know, think my children to be a blessing. I am ecstatic that she, who knows nothing of you except my praise, would bear you a child now. She wishes for you to agree to her request, don't you Nabih?"

"Mate Harry, I have wished for a child for a long time. Please. Please give me a child, Mate Harry?" Nabih looked up and her eyes swam with tears.

Harry felt his heart shatter as fear and hope and guilt welled up inside him. She was begging…_begging_. Harry felt awful. What a thing to spring on him. He didn't know her. He didn't know anything other than what she looked like and her name. How could Saladin ask that of him…how could Nabih even want to have sex with somebody she had never met before. How could any of this come about?! It was absurd!

"How can you…I don't even know you! Saladin, what a thing to even ask of me!" Harry scowled at Saladin who's smile dropped away immediately. Harry didn't look at Saladin for long moment though. He tuned his gaze to Nabih. "You have never seen me before, you don't know me and yet you want my baby? Are you mad?"

Nabih's eyes erupted with tears, silent but deadly with the amount of pain they struck through Harry's heart. Harry quickly crossed to her and put his hands on her shoulders. Nabih tensed immediately and went to pull back, staring up at Harry in what looked to be fear.

"Shh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I'm sorry. Please don't cry. It's just…well…you are asking for us to sleep together to make a baby but…well it took me a month to have sex with Saladin and I had known him for a while. I don't think I could have sex with somebody I have never met before." Nabih shut her eyes as if she was in such despair she couldn't bear to look at Harry and face the world.

"I wish for a child. You are mate now. You are Dominant. You need strong child to be happy. I am a carrier. I need to have a child to fulfil my destiny. I wish for a baby now. Please Mate. Do not deny me this." She muttered and eventually looked into Harry's eyes. Harry saw her desperation there and felt his heart break for her but he shook his head and backed away.

"This is ludicrous! I can't listen to this. Saladin, how could you even attempt to back me into a corner like this?!"

"I do not understand the problem, Emerald. You wish for a child, Nabih wishes to give you one. She is very beautiful. It would not be hard to have sex with her would it? I shall be there beloved. I must be to ensure your seed is activated." Harry winced remembering how horrified he was when he learned that the only way for a Destined to impregnate a Carrier was for their Dragonette to be inside of them when they spilled their sperm into the Carrier. The book Harry learned it from even had pictures…it was like a Karma Sutra describing the different positions the Dragonette, Destined and Carrier could have intercourse in to ensure that they still impregnated the carrier.

"I don't care. I can't sleep with somebody I barely know just because they are pretty! I am not that shallow." Harry spat, angry and wound up.

"No, you are not shallow. But you are vicious enough to destroy this girl's hopes. That isn't the work of somebody shallow. It is the work of somebody horrible." Saladin said in flat empty tones, his eyes shimmering angrily.

Harry felt the words as if they were a blow to his body. "I did not mean to destroy her hopes but they are unrealistic. I can't just sleep with her when I've only just met her." Harry tried to reason but Saladin had a stubborn set to his jaw, was staring down his nose and looking angry.

"Mateship relationships work differently to the kind you have been used to before Harry. Everything happens fast and you need to adjust to that quickly. Nabih here wants a child. Carriers, very much like unmated Destined, fall into depressions. You remember how you were before I found you? You suffered from depression, lack of appetite, lack of passion for everyday life. It all changed when you met me and our Dragon magics helped you. To deny Nabih a child is to subject her to the same darkness you suffered while alone. Do you want her to grieve and despair of her situation, fall into a depression so deep she will attempt suicide? Do you? Because I thought you were a warrior of the Light, not the evil in the story."

"I…you're pushing me into a corner and I really hate this." Harry snapped and turned his back on Saladin. He walked quickly over to the chair on the other side of the room and stood there, keeping a significant chunk of space between him and Saladin.

"Nabih. On the bed."

Harry heard Saladin order and heard the scuffle of feet. Then he heard the sounds of heavy boots approach him. Harry crossed his arms and tensed his body. Strong, large hands landed on his shoulders and a strong chest pressed into his back,

"I have been patient with you, my Emerald. I took the courtship at your pace, spending longer courting you than I spent courting anyone else in my mateship. I stayed in England for you and I stayed away from my mateship for you. Now that I have you I would like some concessions made for me too. I wish to provide my mates with everything they could ever want. The only thing Nabih wants is a baby and you are my only means of providing that for her at the moment. If it is easier, pretend she is that woman you loved so many years ago but were unable to make love to. I can help you, I shall be inside of you giving you pleasure and ultimately by doing this you shall be achieving your wish of having a child as well as Nabih's wish. I will provide that which is necessary Harry, I promised I would but I cannot have you fight my provision of what you most longed for. Do as we ask, let us gift you as you gift us. Come with me now. Come."

Saladin used the hands on Harry's shoulders to steer Harry around and over to the bed. Harry tried to stubbornly set his feet into the ground but couldn't stop the momentum and ended up stumbling along with Saladin. Harry wanted to protest but found words strangely stuck in his mouth. One of Saladin's fingers brushed over his mating mark and Harry felt magic shiver though his body from the touch.

Saladin did something to him.

Harry snapped a look over his shoulder at the Dragonette who had narrow eyes. Harry didn't get to look for long though because Saladin spun him around and sealed their mouths together as his hands got busy on Harry's clothes. Harry tried to slap the hands away but they just slipped beneath his hold. His clothes disappeared quickly despite Harry putting up a fight.

Once he was naked, Saladin pulled away and stared down at Harry. The stare was piercing and Harry knew the frisson of fear that spiked through him must have shown on his face because Saladin's look softened.

"My beloved Emerald, oh how I adore you. Your innocence, righteousness and chivalry is awe inspiring, however in a mateship it serves nobody any good. Trust me, as you always have before, and let me lead you. I will lead you to pleasure." Saladin grasped Harry's member and pumped firmly. Just a touch was enough to produce an arousal.

Harry still wanted to fight. He still wanted to stop all of this from happening. He tried to grasp Saladin's hand and pull it away from him. He tried to turn from Saladin's kiss. He tried to think the most unpleasant thoughts to stop his arousal. It didn't work. None of it worked.

Saladin pulled back from the kiss and Harry opened his mouth to shout at him, to curse him and to insult him. Saladin spoke before he could though.

"Beloved. Oh my beloved." Saladin murmured and dove in for another kiss.

Just like that the fight left Harry's body. He gave in.

How could he fight against the man he loved? How could he deny the man who loved him, who was trying to give him everything he promised he would give him. How could Harry stop Saladin, the only one to adore him? Saladin knew more about being a Dragonette and a Destined than Harry did and Harry would have to trust Saladin to know this was right.

Harry didn't think it was right, something inside him was screaming again, that quiet voice clamoring and whimpering quietly in his gut. Harry was learning to ignore that voice…it wasn't his true instincts. Or so Saladin said. But Saladin knew…he knew everything about Dragonettes. And Harry was his mate. Saladin would take care of him.

"Turn around my beautiful Emerald." Harry shut his eyes and did as he was asked. Saladin bent him over the bed and he had to rest his hands on the mattress to keep himself up so he didn't topple as he was bent at the waist. Saladin's lips and teeth found his mating mark and pressed on it.

"Mmph." Harry groaned, something going through the mark again and grinding down his nerves. It wasn't unpleasant, nor was it pleasant. It was just a reminder that the mark was there, that Harry was officially a mate of Saladin's mateship.

"Oh my beloved. I am going to love you and Nabih is going to create a child just for you." Harry felt fingers at his sore arse. They swirled on the sore, abused skin then pressed inside. Harry winced and tensed, opening his eyes and going to look over his shoulder but his eyes locked onto sapphire eyes.

Nabih was naked on the bed and carefully sliding her body beneath his. She had a look of concentration on her face as she slid herself into place. She spread her legs to either side of his body and Harry felt her inner thighs brush against his sides. Harry jerked, trying to stand upright and back away but Saladin pressed down on his back and that small movement caused the fingers inside him to press deeper.

"Ah." Harry gritted his teeth and shut his eyes tightly against the spasms of pain.

"Careful love. Calm. Let me love you beloved." Saladin breathed against his ear and then licked Harry's ear shell.

Harry gritted his teeth as another finger slid into him. Opening his eyes he found himself looking straight down into Nabih's eyes. She gave him a sad smile. Harry frowned at her wondering what the sadness was for.

Then Saladin entered him and the thrust forwards of Saladin's hips cause Harry's hips to jump forwards and the tip of his erection touched against something hot and wet beneath him. Saldin pulled back again and a small hand grasped Harry's erection. Harry knew with utmost clarity what was going to happen next.

"Oh Merlin…Saladin please stop. I don't want to do this…Nabih please." Saladin thrust forwards and so did Harry unwillingly. Harry screwed his eyes shut as he was plunged forwards inside Nabih. He heard Nabih's loud gasp and a choked cry. Harry pealed his eyes open and looked down at her. She had her eyes screwed shut and was biting her lip so much that Harry could see a tiny bit of blood there.

"Ahh…my mates together at last. Come my jewels. Let us create a baby." Saladin crooned but this time his voice was neither gentle, kind or honeyed. It was cold, empty and cruel.

Harry felt ice wash over him as Saladin started thrusting madly inside him, making him in turn slide in and out of Nabih's body. Harry's instincts broke free and everything that said to trust Saladin was beaten down into a bloody pulp on the floor as the wary instincts, _the true instincts_, reared their head. Saladin was bad, the mateship was bad and Harry had made the most tremendous mistake.

Harry felt the betrayal like a skewered edged sword to his heart. Fight bubbled inside him.

"Stop it! Stop it! Get off! I don't want this!" Harry tried to struggle, tried to yank backwards or to the side. He tried to twist any which way to disengage himself from the bodies around him.

Arms as strong as steel grasped his hips and vicious teeth gauged into his neck and shoulder. Harry yelled out, not expecting the pain. Then he tried to thump his hands back behind him and hit at Saladin.

Saladin growled and grabbed Harry's wrists, digging his fingernails into Harry's skin so they tore in and spilled his blood. Saladin then leant Harry forwards more, bearing down on Harry's back with all his strength and power. Harry was completely pinned against Nabih.

Saladin started thrusting harshly and erratically. Harry felt completely hopeless, unable to move and trapped in the situation. There was nothing he could do but be a part of his and Nabih's rape.

He gasped and felt a tear fall from his eyes. He heard an answering gasp and opened his eyes to look at a crying Nabih below him.

"Oh Merlin…" Harry choked out. "I'm so sorry."

"So am I." Nabih whispered.

Saladin carried on regardless.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any profits from posting this fanfiction.

**Summary:** Non-Epilogue compliant. A depressed, lonely Harry literally stumbles into a man who seduces him with answers to Harry's problems, hands him the promise of happiness…and an invisible shackle to a gilded prison. With answers he hates in his hand will Harry be able to find the elusive happiness he deserves?

**Pairings:** HP/GW. HP/OMC. HP/OFC. HP/TH (Terrence Higgs). HP/Other Rowling Characters.

AN: My apologies for the delay in posting chapters 4&5. As I am sure most of you know, real life has some unexpected twists and turns and the worst of them happen during te busiest times of the year. Anyway, here are your updates and you will be happy to know that chapter 6 will be uploaded on Sunday the 30th.

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**Dragonette Debacle – Chapter 5 – Hidden Truths and Treasures.**

**WARNINGS: Rape. Mention of rape.**

**7****th**** September 2007**

Harry waited until Saladin had left the room with a lithe male and a woman, whom he dragged by her hair. The wall door locking them in the cave was shut completely, before he finally moved out from where he was hiding behind a huge four poster bed.

Ever since he had been literally thrown into this room of the cave two days ago, he had taken to lying low and trying to get an understanding of how everything worked. He had to discipline himself to stay on the outside of the groups that everybody else in the room seemed to make. He stayed alone and isolated on the outskirts of everything and just observed, using all his auror instincts to watch and notice as much as possible. It was hard and draining to be so alert all the time, Harry had hardly slept. It was even more draining because there wasn't much to watch!

Everything inside the temple was so slow, laid back and dull…until Saladin arrived and then the air was taut with tension and fear.

The atmosphere was so overwrought ever time the wall-door opened that Harry could almost taste the salty sweet taste of perspiration on the air. He could smell the sudden increase in sweat production caused by the anxiousness. He could practically hear the racing rhythms of everybody's heart rates and blood pressure. It was overbearing. It was pitiful. It was horrendous. And it was contagious. Harry began to dread the wall-door opening and he had nothing much to dread yet, though from the taste of the people who were delivered back into the temple and from remembering his own state when he was brought to the temple Harry knew that his imagination could fill in the gaps. There was enough to fear.

The cave room Harry was in was the temple. The place where Saladin stored his treasures…the place where Saladin threw his captive mates; the people he stole from the world, ravaged and put in a safe vault which only he could seemingly enter and exit at will. From the numbers Harry managed to count there were about sixty nine people in the room, himself included. That number also included the twelve children who stayed in one corner of the room which seemed to be designated as their play area. They barely made any noise despite their immense number. Harry remembered what Saladin said about his children, the man certainly was a keen and well-studied liar. His children were neglected, thin and two were sickly things. They were not treasured. They were not given what they needed because they were at Saladin's mercy and Saladin did not provide anyone in the mateship what they needed.

None of them had clothes, new or old; they only had what they wore when they arrived. They had that one set of clothing for everything and had to make do with washing the clothes in the natural spring pool which was also used for bathing at the other end of the room. Thankfully there was soap and therefore there wasn't the putrid smell one would expect in a room full of people without the ability to wash everything sufficiently.

There was, however, the smell of rotting and decaying flesh which wasn't a preferable smell to uncleanliness.

Harry learned the reason for that smell late last night when he had gone snooping around when everybody else was asleep…or when he thought they were asleep. He had wandered off to the low part of the temple room far to the left. There the room narrowed and reduced in size till it was a dark cave only five foot wide and six foot tall. Harry had wandered in and climbed over a jutting up piece of rock. Almost immediately upon touching the ground Harry scrambled back up onto the rock and looked down waiting and dreading his eyes adjusting to the light. When his eyes did adjust he saw what his foot had felt and what his mind had already conjured up.

Bodies. Dead bodies littered the cave all in various states of decaying. There were bodies of mangled men and women with gaping cuts all over their flesh. They had gouges taken out of them, several were burn to a crisp their skin blackened and crispy. Some were missing limbs and painted with black and red, obviously their blood from where their horrendous wounds bled over them. Some bodies were young children, some were babies. All dead and rotting, putrid and bloodcurdlingly repugnant.

Harry had backed away and left feeling nauseous. He went over to where there was a fresh water cold spring in the temple and drank trying to push away the nausea. That was when he noticed a list on the wall. There, scratched and written on the wall were names…dozens and dozens of names. Some had dates next to them. Others had two sets of dates next to them. One or two, Harry noticed with tears welling up in his eyes, had three dates next to them. A date of birth, a date of arrival and a date of death. Some births in the temple, some were births and deaths, some information was dates of births and dates of arrival at the temple and some were merely dates of arrival at the temple and deaths. Next to Harry's name was just his arrival date in the temple, the 5th of September 2007.

Obviously the dead were not allowed to leave the temple, just as the living weren't unless they were taken by Saladin. Not even the dead and still born babies were given a funeral. Not even those Saladin obviously murdered. All were left inside the temple…disposed of in the only way the large mateship could dispose of them.

Harry wondered whether Saladin had taken him to visit all the sites of the Holocaust in Europe to prepare him for his future living conditions. Visiting Auschwitz and Warsaw and learning of the horrors people suffered there at the hands of the Nazis and other people…oh Harry now understood how Saladin could explain the history to him with such a reverent tone. Harry had believed his voice to be awe filled at the strength those poor victims had to survive those harsh conditions. Now he believed that Saladin's admiration was aimed at the captors, not the captives. When Saladin had made his temple he made it with the concentration camps in his mind.

At least they had pillows, a multitude of pillows and mattresses on which to sleep. There were a few beds but Harry had observed them to be completely unused except for when a group of Dominant Destined decided to have their way with a submissive or carrier. They also had ways to clean themselves and fresh water. They just lived in fear of Saladin coming, fear of the Dominants deciding they looked like good prey, and fear of dying and being thrown in a cave to rot. Their lives were also not comprised of working themselves to exhaustion and not being fed enough…no, their lives consisted of mind-numbing boredom, soul eating frustration and heart melting despair while they were not fed enough to share among their numbers.

Harry had only been in the temple for two days. He loathed it already.

* * *

**27****th**** September 2007 – Harry age 27years**

Harry cursed and kicked a pillow watching with furious fascination as it flew through the air and landed somewhere near a group of Dominants who turned and glared viciously at Harry when they saw it was he who kicked it. Harry glared back at them, hating them for their treatment of everybody in the mateship and started imagining every pranking curse and legally painful curse he could inflict upon them if only he had his wand. Unfortunately for him Saladin had confiscated his wand while Harry was sleeping after Saladin practically raped Harry and Nabih…oh who was Harry kidding, of course it was rape. Harry hadn't wanted it and, Harry later learned, Nabih was blackmailed into it. It was rape in its basic form.

Harry had had plenty of time to think after he'd finished his observations of the mateship all those weeks ago. He had talked to people, learned their stories and told his own. He had learned a great deal and come to accept a great deal about his own experiences with Saladin. Now here Harry was, almost one month later, trapped in some caves in Turkey. Saladin had apparently taken great joy in evilly explaining some details to one of the submissives Harry had been talking to. The submissive had said Saladin had boasted that Karaman Taskale was the hiding place of his entire mateship, all 54 of them plus his twelve children, now 55 of them with Harry included in the number. Saladin had said that he had a fondness for caves and with all the enchantments on the caves nobody would be able to find them. It was the perfect hiding place. And, he mentioned gleefully, nobody could escape either. Harry already knew of Saladin's pen chance for caves, after all the man had proudly showed off the Salt Mine in Wieliczka.

"Careful, Harry. Don't make more enemies if you can help it. That group has Saladin's favourites."

Harry scowled but nodded at Blaise's words.

Blaise Zabini had been the 'Italian Adonis' that Saladin had mentioned all that time ago in the pub. How nobody caught on that it wasn't a statue or a picture and was in fact a person was amazing. Harry hadn't known either.

Blaise had explained it all to Harry along with the explanation that Saladin used the 'impregnation' technique, the one he used on Harry with Nabih, to ensure that the really morally good people won't try to escape because Saladin could either threaten to out the male as a rapist or threaten to kill both mother and child. Thus Saladin ensured their cooperation. Harry hadn't been threatened, he hadn't caused a fuss just to protect Nabih who was pregnant now and rather unhappily so.

Blaise had also informed Harry of how Saladin used illegal spells during the 'mating' to ensure his mate's cooperation, to get the mate to obey. That explained the magic Harry felt resonating from the mate bite. The mating bite had disappeared now. Blaise said that was only a good thing as without a fresh bite the charms did not work.

"I hate this!" Harry raged, and resisted kicking another pillow.

"I know you do." Blaise commented and flopped wearily to the floor so he could recline on another huge pillow. There were pillows everywhere in the temple, the place where all the mates were kept. Large pillows, small pillows and pillows the size of mattresses. There was also an abundance of blankets and fabric. It was like one huge, brightly coloured padded room in a mental asylum.

"I can't live like this! This is ridiculous!" Harry groaned and slumped to the floor alongside Blaise. "I feel like I'm going absolutely _crazy_ in here! There's nothing to do!"

"Read. We have a very useless library but it has plenty of books in it. Learn a language from one of the many people in this bloody cave. Reminisce on how your life used to be. Daydream and describe what you wished you were doing. Play picture chess with me." Blaise listed all without any enthusiasm or emphasis to any idea. Everything was delivered in the flat tone that suggested the man was tired of repeating himself.

Harry huffed again and threw himself to the floor. He wasn't going to do anything namby-pamby like play chess or read romance novels. He'd do something useful at least.

Harry started doing sit ups glaring angrily at Blaise as if challenging the man to say something. Blaise offered a small smirk and then openly observed Harry's bare chest as Harry continued with the exercise.

"I do love it when you are in these moods." Blaise muttered and proceeded to openly stare at Harry.

Harry felt his cheeks heat, and not from exertion, but continued with his exercise. He had done the same thing for the last week. Being driven stir craze was at least liveable when you exerted yourself in-between bouts of boredom. With his limited diet too Harry was eliminating any fat from his body and his muscles were beginning to shape up more nicely than they were before. Hence Blaise's blatant staring.

The Italian had admitted to being gay and saw no problem with perversely staring at anybody around him that he found attractive. At least he didn't act upon any of his perversions, unlike that group of horrible Dominants across the room. They were awful.

SCRRRRRCH!

The air around Harry tensed and thickened becoming unbearable, stuffy and oppressive in less than a second as the wall door opened. Harry stopped his sit ups and sat up to watch as Saladin walked through the door with his head held high and red-brown eyes looking superciliously around the room like a predator stalking his prey.

Harry felt his hair stand on end and ice cold settle in his body as those evil eyes landed on him and glistened. Saladin smiled and raked his gaze salaciously. Harry felt sick at the lecherous expression that came over Saladin's face.

"Ahh, already wet with sweat for me, my dearest Harry. Yes, you shall warm my bed this night."

"The hell I will." Harry retorted glaring fiercely.

Saladin grinned showing far too many teeth and muttered one spell.

"_Accio_." Harry went flying through the air and crashing into Saladin who caught him in such a tight hold Harry could barely breathe. "Oh you don't have a choice."

Harry slammed his head forwards into Saladin's victoriously smirking face. There was a snap then Saladin roared and reared backwards. Harry felt something hot and wet gush over him and blinked up noticing with amusement and revenge filled glee that he had broken Saladin's nose.

Unfortunately, Saladin had a wand. One curse through a gurgled, blood thickened mouth had Harry writhing on the floor screaming as his nerves exploded like lightning in his body.

"I will make you wegwet dis." Saladin forced out, the break making his 'r' sounds come out as 'w's instead. A claw like hand grasped Harry's hair and yanked him up from the floor. Harry yelled and struggled in the hold as he was dragged from the room.

Merlin, help him now!

* * *

**28****th**** September 2007**

Harry used the momentum from his fall to roll him over and up into a low crouch position, ignoring the immense pain that manoeuvre caused his body. He spun around to face Saladin who had thrown him and gave the Dragonette a venomous scowl. Saladin sneered back and just turned and left the room. Harry refused to let his body relax and fall to the floor as it desperately wanted to until Saladin had left and the wall-door had closed behind him.

No sooner had the doors closed did Harry slump to the floor in agony.

Saladin had been rough. He had been vicious, raging and lustful. It was a dangerous combination in a madman with a high libido, a wand and a complete and utter lack of any form of decency known to man. Harry didn't want to think about what he had endured. He didn't want to think about what had been done to him.

At least he wasn't dead.

At least the damage wasn't lasting.

At least he had woken before Saladin and stolen the man's wand casting as many healing charms as he knew which took away all the damage to his body. He had then only had enough time to curse Saladin with a spell to restrain him to the bed with chains and give him a painful genital rash when Saladin had awoken. Saladin had transformed into dragon immediately upon waking, Harry only just managed to get out of the bed in time to not be crushed.

Unfortunately, the transformation broke the chains holding Saladin to the bed. Saladin used that to his advantage and quickly changed back into a human, took his wand back and gave Harry a severe physical beating.

Thank Merlin, Harry thought to use a rash on Saladin…it meant the man couldn't get an erection for a while without it being painful so Harry was spared the pain of another round. If only he had been given more time…with more time Harry could have cursed Saladin differently or restrained him differently and then maybe been able to break free of the insane Dragonette.

But Harry hadn't, and he was back in the temple.

And he hurt.

"Potter! Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Harry groaned and then hissed as Blaise helped him stand again and half carried him over to a large mattress like pillow.

"That's what you get Potter for striking our Dragonette." Harry blinked up to see who had said that stupid sentence. His gaze locked with one of the Dominants from the group who ran the temple with fear and violence.

"You got what you deserved." Another of the group said.

Harry opened his mouth to retort but an elbow delivered sharply to his side stopped him from speaking. Harry glanced angrily at Blaise who glared back meaningfully.

"Learn to pick your battles Potter. Surely they teach you that in the aurors."

Harry blanched and nodded, acquiescing to the words. Yes they had taught him better in the aurors. Merlin knows if any of his new recruits had dared to mouth off like Harry was planning to do then Harry would have given the recruit a very stern talking to and punishment.

You did not rile up victims, witnesses or bystanders. Keep calm, assess and strike if necessary, if the situation is too dangerous then hold back for reinforcements. Harry had no reinforcements and he was wounded already. He couldn't go riling up anybody else.

"Fine." Harry grunted and screwed his eyes shut as Blaise's manhandling caused more pain to shoot through his body.

"Bloody hell Potter! What did Saladin do to you?"

"He raped me while he beat me. Then after he fell asleep I chained him up, cursed him and healed myself. He woke up and decided to beat me up again. End of story." Harry said bluntly.

Blaise flinched at his words giving Harry the bitter taste of victory, bitter because he didn't want to win anything by admitting the truth of a situation. Harry only spoke bluntly for the shock value and it had worked. Only now Blaise had a terror filled, angst drenched, pity loaded look on his face. Harry sighed and put a hand on Blaise's shoulder. "It's not as bad as it looks. I'll be fine. I've survived worse."

"Oh yeah?" Blaise said shaking himself out of his despair. "When?"

"Well…" Harry cast his mind back into his past before shrugging. "During the war."

"You were never raped during the war."

It was Harry's turn to wince at Blaise's flat tone. "No, I wasn't. Not physically. My mind was though. And don't worry, I'll be fine. It wasn't so bad. I blacked out for most of it so I'm not exactly traumatised." Harry said trying to make light of the situation.

The truth was he honestly believed that. The whole experience was painful, demeaning ad humiliating leaving him feeling cold, unprotected, violated and numerous other horrible things. But Harry couldn't afford to focus on what had happened, he knew what that could do to a person. No. Harry would accept that what happened had happened. It wasn't willing, it wasn't agreed to and he'd had no choice but there were no what if's to be contemplated. Harry would acknowledge what happened and try to focus on surviving again. He'd always remember but he wouldn't let it consume him…somehow he would be okay.

"I can't…" Blaise started to say incredulity etched on his face.

"Shh. Leave it." Harry soothed and shut his eyes slumping into the mattress beneath him. Oh, he wanted to sleep now. Desperately wanted sleep. There wasn't any danger now so perhaps he could sleep…if Blaise stayed with him. "I want to sleep."

"Go to sleep then." Blaise scoffed and shifted away.

Harry quickly opened his eyes and grabbed his only friend in the temple's arm, holding tightly and looking imploringly at the Italian. "Stay with me?"

Blaise stared for a moment before sighing and nodding. "Alright."

Harry shut his eyes, sending all his wishes to Merlin that he would not dream about what happened last night.

* * *

**AN:** Poor Harry.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any profits from posting this fanfiction.

**Summary:** Non-Epilogue compliant. A depressed, lonely Harry literally stumbles into a man who seduces him with answers to Harry's problems, hands him the promise of happiness…and an invisible shackle to a gilded prison. With answers he hates in his hand will Harry be able to find the elusive happiness he deserves?

**Pairings:** HP/GW. HP/OMC. HP/OFC. HP/TH (Terrence Higgs). HP/Other Rowling Characters.

**WARNINGS: Rape. Mention of rape.**

**AN: As promised, and on time, here is the next installment.**

Yet again my thanks to Scioneeris for being a wonderful beta who puts up with all sorts of mistakes on my part despite me proof reading before sending her my work. And a big thank you to those people who took the time to review, it means a lot to me and I check every day to see if more people have reviewed my stories. Thank you.

* * *

**READ WARNINGS!**

**Dragonette Debacle – Chapter 6 – The Tide Doth Turn.**

**17****th**** October 2007**

Blaise and Harry sat on the ground with Harry once again chatting about how awful the book he was reading was. He had ended up caving in a few weeks ago and had started reading to pass the time. The only books available in English were romance novels or reference books for cooking. Useless. So Harry and Blaise had instead started moaning and verbally cursing the books they read, criticising them via any means they could as entertainment.

Harry finished explaining how two characters in a romance book had just slept together one night but had declared absolute undying love and devotion to the other that it was sickening and nauseating.

"I wouldn't touch this rubbish if I wasn't so bored!"

Blaise gave him a pitying look and was about to respond when the magical wall leading to their temple opened. Saladin walked in holding a naked, screaming young man, probably in his early twenties.

"AHHH! LET ME GO YOU BASTARD! GET OFF ME! AHHHHH HELP! SOMEBODY HELP!"

Saladin sneered and threw the man to the floor.

"Meet your newest submissive mate. Give him a few days and he'll be ready to entertain again." Saladin jeered with a carnal perverted grin. Then the Dragonette turned and walked out of the room, the wall closing behind him with a boom that reverberated through the walls, ceiling and floor of the temple.

The young man stopped screaming and just huddled into a ball on the floor. He looked like he had been savaged. He was covered in small scratches and bruises and blood was splattered all over him. The young man had his back to Harry and Blaise giving them perfect view of the sullied area of his body. Blood and semen flowed freely from the man's rear end and as the man shook some more oozed out obscenely.

Harry noticed the malicious group of Dominant Destined making their way over to the young man rubbing their groins and cat calling, shouting out the nasty things they were looking forward to doing to the young man. The man quivered and Harry heard a small cry before a roar deafened his hearing and red took over his vision.

Harry felt rage overcome him and he stood. Blaise quickly scrambled to his feet as if to grab Harry's arm, but he didn't manage to grab Harry in time.

Harry had had enough.

"Get away from him!" Harry screamed and, dismissing the fact that he had no wand and was completely outnumbered, ran forwards and ploughed himself into the first Dominant he came into contact with. The two of them went tumbling to the ground and just as the Dominant made to fight back, instincts rising to the fore at the attack, Harry delivered one sharp punch to his nose and another to his temple sending the man reeling with pain and mindless to what happened next.

All the other submissives, less brave dominants and all the carriers backed away leaving a wide berth for Harry and the other Dominants.

Harry sprang to his feet eyeing everyone around him. Tactics and viciousness raced through his brain as he eyed the arseholes who would inflict pain for their pleasure. He would take them down, one way or another, he would take them down.

Lefty was a brute of a man but he was borderline seven foot and had short arms. He might land a punch but Harry knew he had the strength and agility to dodge and with one well-placed knee with as much power as Harry could muster the guy would be rendered useless in more ways than one.

Middle left guy was a weed but apparently a sharp shot dueller…shame he didn't have a wand. Being a dueller meant he'd have a side on stance, take out his front leg, kick to the groin and job done.

Middle guy was tough, a brute and a cage fighter as he was a squib. Harry might have trouble with him. Quick footed, a mean left hook which Harry knew from watching him punch out another dominant about a week ago. The man was also brilliant with his reflexes. Harry's only chance with him would be to confuse the brainless twit or tire him out.

Middle right was just arrogance wrapped into one six foot seven bundle. All the bark and none of the bite, first hint of pain and he'd be dealt with. Break his nose and go from there.

The guy on the far right was the ringleader. Harry would end up in a fist fight with him. However if Harry could get him with a blast of his weak, wandless magic then that might be enough to have him stumble so he could take care of him. The only things he could do wandlessly were lumos, a weak expelliarmus and a summoning charm. He would have to hope that the expelliarmus was enough to do the job.

"Oh look its Perfect Potter. What you going to do pipsqueak? You can't go up against us!"

Oh Harry was willing to bet he could.

"So says the arrogant imbecile with a big mouth but a flimsy fist. Come over here ant just try me, or are you a chicken, not a Destined?"

"Why you…"

And the fight was on.

Arrogance ran forward flailing madly. Harry ducked and dodged kicking one leg out and colliding it with arrogance's knee while slamming his elbow upwards and smashing the guys nose in and up. Something snapped, the man let out a shrill cry and fell to the ground shrieking and clutching at his knee and nose. Harry leapt over the guy which brought him four feet closer to the still whimpering mass on the floor that was the newest mate.

Cage fighter came barrelling forwards but Harry turned and dashed to the right to takeout the seven foot brute on the left. The guy crouched and swung but Harry was only five feet, six inches and barely had to duck. Harry threw himself forwards dropping to his knees and skidding forwards delivering the hit to the man's groin with his head.

The man howled and fell forwards nearly on top of Harry. Harry rolled left and used the momentum to effortlessly get to his feet.

He was met with a slap over his ear leaving a high pitched ringing overwhelming his ear. Harry growled and with a careful instep, Harry grabbed the weedy man by the scruff of his neck, tugged hard and sent the man to the floor. One sharp punch right to the man's kisser had blood erupting from the guy's mouth and a tooth fall out. Like a bully in the playground, Harry, then placed his foot on the man's chest and pressed down in warning, unlike the school bully Harry didn't press hard enough to damage, just to warn.

"Stay down." Harry ordered and spun back around to face whoever was coming next. Cage fighter and ringleader were right next to the poor new submissive. Harry felt his blood boil as the ringleader reached down and started fondling the guy's bum. The poor guy sobbed and curled up tighter.

"Looks like a great fuck hole." Ringleader said and then looked up at Harry grinning nastily.

Harry saw the image of Voldemort supersede itself over the ringleader's face. "Expelliarmus!" He yelled, lashing out with his magic. The dominants looked stunned as they did in fact go flying back a few feet; Harry was equally stunned but not enough to let it affect him.

"Oh you are going to pay for that. You need to learn here that _we_ are more dominant than _you_!" They both advanced.

Harry frantically searched around for something to help him out. There was nothing even remotely useful in his area except a pillow which he could use to cushion any blows. Harry reached down, snatched the nearest pillow and held it up just in time to connect with an incoming right hook from the cage fighter.

"Oof!"

"Oh playing with pillows are we, Potter? Don't worry. Once we are through with you, pillows will be your new best friend." The ringleader taunted.

Harry ducked the next thump, only then he realised that he had positioned himself between the two men.

The ringleader grabbed him from behind, plastering his body to Harry's back. With one hand he grabbed Harry's hair and yanked his head back, with his other hand he gripped Harry's waist. The brute came bowling forwards clenching his fists ready to strike when the ringleader said. The ringleader put his lips right next to Harry's ear and then Harry felt the clothed erection pressing against his behind. He clenched his teeth.

"Oh while I wait for our newest piece of meat I'm going to fully enjoy using you." The ringleader licked up Harry's cheek.

Disregarding the pain he was about to cause himself Harry jerked his head sharply into the ringleader's. The man yelped and released Harry's hair. Harry spun and thumped the man in his nose. There was a satisfying crunch beneath the heel of Harry's hand and the man yelled hoarsely with the pain and doubled over. Harry clasped his hands together, stuck out his elbow and with a run, jump and collision he rammed his elbow into the ringleader's back.

Something collided with the side of Harry's head, behind his ear and on his skull. The pain was tremendous but the crack Harry heard wasn't from his bones breaking but from the cage fighter's bones breaking. Harry spun round seeing the guy shaking his fist in the universal sign for 'ow something hurts in my hand'. Harry lunged forwards trying to get a decent hit in and take the guy down.

In pain or not, the cage fighter parried, blocked and thumped out too. They slapped fists and forearms for a few minutes before the fighter managed to grasp Harry's wrist. He twisted and lifted it and Harry felt all his bones, muscles and tendons scream out in pain from the movement.

"Argh!"

"Hurts doesn't it, you puny piece of crap?!"

"UUUURRRGHHHH, LUMOS!" Harry yelled hoping the spell would work out of his left hand, the hand being held up near the guy's face. It didn't, the bright light, almost blinding because of Harry's desperation, shining from the palm of his right hand. With a quick upswing Harry brought his hand up so the light shone in the guy's eyes. He yelled with pain from the bright light, dropped Harry's arm and put his hands over his eyes trying to shield from the pain. Harry grabbed the guys hair, shoved the man's head down and raised his knee. The guy's face crunched into Harry's knee and with another groan of pain he slumped to the floor.

Harry spun around panting fast and searching for his next attacker. Seven bodies lay on the ground. The dominant he had jumped on before the real fight had started. The seven foot brute was still rolling on the floor clutching his groin. Weed was choking and spluttering, crying and holding the teeth that had fallen out when Harry punched his mouth. Cage fighter was down still moaning in pain. The arrogant git had seemingly fainted from the pain and the ringleader was just lying still. Harry would have thought he had killed the man if it wasn't for the steady rise and fall of the man's back. Harry suspected the guy had just lost consciousness. The guy Harry had attacked first was now sitting up with a dazed look and the seventh body was the traumatised submissive.

"You will pay for this Potter…" Cage fighter gasped at him angrily.

Harry pointed a finger at him, adrenaline still driving him as his mind raced through procedure and how they could do that now.

"You! Shut it! You." Harry pointed to a group of people he knew to be dominants of a nicer disposition. "Tie up these pricks and keep them out of view of the over grown lizard we call Saladin. You, submissives, get this new one some clothes, keep him warm and get him something to eat. Carriers make yourselves useful and tidy up. Anybody here got first aid training?"

"I have, sir." A timid man's voice said.

Harry glanced at him and saw he was obviously a submissive. From the American lilt to his tones Harry knew the man to be from Texas or somewhere round about there. "Good. My hand's hurting, our newest mate is going to need plenty of attention and when you can't possibly find anything else to distract you, then you might want to think about fixing up those scum."

"Of course, sir." The young man scurried forwards towards Harry then stopped. He glanced at the new mate who wasn't unfolding for the submissives around him.

"See to him first, I can wait." Harry instructed and the man nodded. Harry moved over to Blaise and sat down awaiting his turn. Blaise didn't say anything for a moment then sarcastically said.

"And after that brief interlude of 'Potty Potter' we are back to boredom."

Harry shook his head with a small smile. Sure, it might have been a crazy idea to attack those Dominants but it had happened spur of the moment and nobody could say that they hadn't deserved it. Harry was always good at getting rid of the bad guys one way or another.

The next few minutes were a flurry of activity. The Texas healer, with limited resources, managed to patch up the submissive and seen to Harry's hand and he was now trying to get together as many resources as he could for a makeshift first aid box for the temple.

The troubled submissive was now sat cuddled in against a rather podgy dominant called Jurgen who was a teddy bear really despite his very large intimidating size. It was strange how the new submissive went to him, though perhaps not so strange. Saladin was the one to cause the hate and he was dark haired and dark skinned whereas Jurgen could not have been more pale in hair, eye or skin colour.

The dominants who Harry had fought with, were now tied up expertly in the furthest corner of the room, right at the back where they could do no harm and where people could keep an eye on them. None of them looked too happy, but since the other dominants had used their imagination and decided to gag the men, there was no noise or complaints.

The carriers had quickly tidied up and some were even balancing precariously trying to fit a curtain which would hide those dominants from view making it seem more like a prison for them.

Blaise was sitting opposite Harry just watching as Harry cleaned up himself in the natural hot spring which was at the bottom of the temple room where they could bathe. Harry scrubbed off the flecks of blood he had received during the fight. He washed his hair quickly then climbed out of the water and shrugged on his trousers. Using a blanket he rubbed his hair and met Blaise's eye as it was obvious the man wanted to say something.

"So now you have taken out that group and have sufficiently cowed the rest of the mateship into looking up to you, what is your plan?"

"I don't really have one." Harry answered honestly. It wasn't like he planned the confrontation with those other dominants, it was just that he was angry at the situation and they were horrible people with the intention to hurt for pleasure. It was his job to stop the bad guys...he did his job, sabbatical or not.

"Right, okay. What about a plan of escape? Have you thought about that?"

Harry took a big breath in and then released it. Truthfully, he had thought about an escape but it wasn't as simple as escaping. Harry knew from his work in the auror office that it was impossible to bring down crime lords from the outside, it needed to be done from the inside reaching out to the outside. However, they were in the middle of Turkey in a labyrinth of caves and locked in one room. They had no means with which to contact the outside world and as far as Harry's friends knew, they were in the Poland area of Europe, not in bloody Turkey!

There was no hope of them being found. They couldn't escape and hope to bring help in because Saladin could just move the mateship to another area. And despite there being no way to escape, Harry couldn't just abandon the other people to such a horrible fate while he escaped alone or with one or two people. That plan went against every noble bone in Harry's body, abandonment even for the greater good was not something he could do.

"I don't know. I've thought about it but I can't come up with a way to successfully save everybody."

"Screw them Potter, what about us. We could escape and then you, if you truly want to be noble, could do something about saving them later. Slytherin rule Potter, keep number one safe first, then worry about others if it's safe for you to do so."

"Screw Slytherin and their rules. I wasn't a Slytherin, I was a Gryffindor. I still am a Gryffindor!"

"Oh and what do your Gryffindor sensibilities tell you to do huh?"

"Nothing! Absolutely nothing! They tell me to protect and keep everybody here as safe and as happy as they can be. Now I have at least done something towards that and have taken out some of Saladin's powerbase here in the temple, regardless of whether or not he knows about it."

"That is completely unhelpful." Blaise grossed. "You have some wandless magic. Can't you use that to our advantage? Maybe if you could take down Saladin then you could initiate an escape."

Harry waved off that idea. Sure taking down six men was alright, it was manageable. His magic also helped him. However, he didn't have many spells in his arsenal without a wand and there was no way he could go up against Saladin if the Sheikh turned into a Dragon.

"If I had a wand maybe but my wandless magic isn't powerful enough to take down somebody with a wand. What if Saladin turned into a Dragon? Then what? I can't go up against a Dragon without a wand."

"You did before!"

"Yes, with a Firebolt! But that's beside the point. I can't exactly outfly him, that's not going to get rid of him."

"It would, if you could lead him away from the temple so we could escape, or so I could escape at least and perhaps I could bring help." Blaise muttered though his voice didn't sound convincing at all, it was more like wishful thinking.

"Impossible. It wouldn't help. To take down a Dragon you need lots of people and to escape from here we need someone to open that door from the outside. We need to get help here then we need to attack from the inside and hopefully catch Saladin in between or at least reveal ourselves to the incoming help."

"And how do you plan to get help here?" Blaise asked snidely, bitterness creeping into his voice now. "Send an owl for help?"

"Pfft, not likely." Harry scoffed and they fell silent.

Harry hadn't had an owl since Hedwig had died. He had always borrowed a Gringotts owl to send messages or if it was really important and over a long distance he sent a Patronus and let Prongs tell whoever needed to know what he had to say.

Patronus…now that was an idea…Harry rolled his eyes at himself. Yeah, like the Patronus could be learned wandlessly. It was a very powerful spell and to send a verbal message through a patronus was even harder, you definitely needed a wand to do that.

Harry stood up.

"Oi! Anybody got a wand?!" Harry yelled and immediately a chorus of 'no' came back to him. He sat back down with a groan.

"Oh please, like that was even going to work." Blaise sighed and shut his eyes.

Harry rolled his eyes and scuffed the floor with his foot Rubbish. It looks like he was stuck for the foreseeable future. Stuck in this padded prison where the only hard instruments were the utensils in the kitchen area, the pots and the wooden bed posts on the few actual beds they had in the temple. Most of them slept on the mattress sized cushions, only a few people used the beds.

If only Harry had a wand.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any profits from posting this fanfiction.

**Summary:** Non-Epilogue compliant. A depressed, lonely Harry literally stumbles into a man who seduces him with answers to Harry's problems, hands him the promise of happiness…and an invisible shackle to a gilded prison. With answers he hates in his hand will Harry be able to find the elusive happiness he deserves?

**Pairings:** HP/GW. HP/OMC. HP/OFC. HP/TH (Terrence Higgs). HP/Other Rowling Characters.

**AN: ** The biggest thanks to my Beta Scioneeris, and a huge thank you to Toadflame who not only reviewed but has made the Dragonette Community and rules far more clear to me. Thank you very much!

**Dragonette Debacle – Chapter 7 – Productivity and Patronus'.**

**29****th**** October 2007.**

Harry rubbed his sore eyes. He had barely slept since he'd fought with the other dominants and assumed 'top dominant' status within the temple. Saladin never suspected a thing, thankfully, and had only visited to 'request' a submissive in his bed for the nights.

A submissive called Mischa had volunteered for the first night and then again for the second night. Mischa had explained afterwards in rather patchy English, that he had been a sex worker before becoming part of the mateship so it was no hardship to have sex with the dragon if nobody else was up for enduring it.

That story made Harry feel awful.

Harry rubbed his eyes again.

"Tired? I can help you relax if you like. I could give you a massage." The Texas healer, Brody, offered from Harry's left.

Harry shook his head. "I'm alright. It's just nightmares from the war, that's all."

Brody nodded his understanding. Apparently while he was not well known in Europe, America was greatly intrigued by Harry Potter and news of his adventures had gone around like wildfire.

Harry kept dreaming about Ollivander and how they had needed to rescue the man from Malfoy Manor along with Griphook and Luna. Harry kept seeing Dobby die and Bellatrix's wand, Draco's wand, then the Elder wand. It kept going around and around in his head. All those wands! It was like they were taunting him! He didn't have a wand, so he kept dreaming about them.

Harry got up and paced around the temple, returning the glare from the still tied up Dominants, and sending caring smiles to all those others who looked at him.

Nabih smiled sadly when he came near and pressed a hand to her stomach. Harry hadn't dared to approach her and she didn't seem to want to go near him either. Harry wandered over to the empty beds and leaned against the bedpost resting his forehead against the wood.

Wands, wands, wands. Oh Harry wished he would stop obsessing over the blasted instruments…and oh how he wished he was more proficient at wandless magic. He had tried to summon his wand the other day but that didn't work. Oh Harry's beautiful wand. Eleven inches, holly and phoenix feather. Hermione's wand was vine and dragon heartstring. Ron's was willow and unicorn hair. Malfoy's wand was hawthorn and unicorn hair. The elder wand was made of Elder wood and thestral hair. So many wands and yet here he was now wandless! Useless.

Harry kicked the wood. It was obviously walnut wood, a favourite of much of the wizarding world for furniture. The bed didn't seem to care about being kicked but Harry's foot did. Pain jabbed sharply from his toes and bounced up his leg. Harry huffed.

Krum's wand was dragon heartstring and hornbeam. Fleur's wand was veela hair and rosewood. Lucius Malfoy's wand was dragon heartstring and elm. Neville's was cherry and unicorn hair. Ollivander also had a hornbeam wand with dragon heartstring. So many dragon heartstring wands.

How did Harry have so much useless information in his head?! Harry shut his eyes and concentrated on relaxing his body and his mind. His head rolled a little as he tried to relax and the wood dug into his temple much like a wand had once during the battle.

Harry leapt upright and backed away from the bed staring at the wood.

"Blaise! Blaise!" Harry yelled waving one hand agitatedly. There was a rustle behind him and seconds later Blaise rushed to his side.

"What the hell's going on?! I was sleeping Potter! What the blazes are you staring at?"

"Blaise, what was your wand made of?"

"Dragon heartstring and ten-inches ebony. Why?"

"Sometimes they use other parts of different creatures for wand cores don't they?" Harry asked, still staring at the bed with rapt fascination though while that might be where his eyes were looking , his mind was far away imagining and remembering.

"Yeah? So what?"

"What kind of things do they use as wand cores?"

Blaise heaved a great big huff. "Phoenix feather, Dragon egg shell, thestral hair, unicorn hair, unicorn horn, mermaid scales, veela hair, salamander scales, griffin blood…look where are you going with this Potter?"

"And they use any kind of wood to make wands right?"

"Yes, so?" Harry finally turned from the bed and looked at Blaise.

"So if we can get hold of a magical core we could theoretically make a wand." Harry finally revealed.

"Wood, Potter. You need wood and if you hadn't noticed, we are surrounded by rock."

Harry strode over to the bed and flicked the wooden frame. Blaise looked like a fish out of water for a few seconds before nodding and straightening himself up.

"Right then, Potter. We have work to do. Let's address your people and go from there. Some might have magical ingredients if we are lucky and if not…well…with the right persuasion our Dragonette might be willing to give us some gifts." Blaise said confidently and turned sharply on his heel. Harry grinned and followed after him.

"May I have everybody's attention please?!"

**25****th**** December 2007**

Two months. It had taken two months of hard work and nearly constant failures but here it was. The finished result.

Harry held the eleven-inch walnut and dragon scale wand in his hand. It was nothing pretty, it certainly did not compare to an Ollivander wand but none the less it was a wand.

"We might actually stand a chance with this." Harry whispered to Blaise and the rest of the small group who were gathered around. Everybody in the mateship had helped contribute in some way to the wand…except the prisoner Dominants who, despite being released, had not caused anybody any trouble. Apparently the six of them were too cowardly to take on fifty odd people, despite there being a lot of Carriers and Submissives who didn't like fighting. There was unity in the mateship and those dominants couldn't change that with threats and violence anymore.

"Because we used Saladin's scales we cannot use the wand directly against him." A submissive called Eshan whispered quickly. "A wand core will not fight against its source effectively."

"I know that."

"Then what's the plan now? You never told us." Blaise pressed. Harry smiled.

"Well, if I can attune myself to the wand enough I might be able to send a patronus out for help." Harry's voice was drowned out by the disbelief from the other people around him.

They shouted and gasped and talked over each other blocking any thought from reaching the front of Harry's brain.

"A Patronus! You can make a corporal one?"

"One that speaks?!"

"Oi, shut up." Blaise yelled scowling around at everybody. The noise level immediately dropped and Blaise turned to Harry again. "A patronus is all well and good, but it cannot travel the hundreds of miles from here to England to get help. That distance is too far."

"I know. I was hoping some of the others would have families nearby that I could alert." Harry looked expectantly around the group surrounding him. They all looked dismayed as they looked at each other and shook their heads clearly communicating 'I don't have anyone near, do you'. Murmurs started traveling back and further around the temple in those brief moments. It was like a ripple effect. Harry had cast the stone at the centre and slowly but surely the ripples grew till everybody in the temple had been asked and had answered. Everybody said no.

Before disappointment could build inside Harry, somebody at the back perked up.

"I know somebody!" Quickly the young man was ushered forwards.

It was the submissive Harry had protected all those months ago. Harry didn't remember the man's name but he had come out of his shell a lot and, despite having horrific nightmares still, he was a bright and happy young man…as bright and as happy as one could be as a captive anyway.

"You do?"

"Yes. Well…it's not a relative of mine but…before Saladin found me and took me I was being courted by another Dragonette who lived in Petra but was holidaying her in Mersin. From what I understand we are in Karaman…Mersin is only one province over so only about sixty miles away at a maximum."

Harry thought that sounded really good. Sixty miles, give or take another few, probably wouldn't be too hard on a Patronus. After all, Kingsley had sent a patronus over one hundred and fifty miles during Fleur's wedding to send them a message. It was completely doable.

The submissive continued talking though. "He will probably still be there, he loved being by the sea. He is very nice, caring and hates when people are hurt. He gets quite angry when people are hurting so he'd help us get away from here. He and Saladin hate each other…even though they are brothers."

"What?! You want us to contact Saladin's brother?! Are you absolutely insane?!" Blaise bellowed incredulously.

Harry grabbed his shoulder and shoved the man back into his seat but Blaise's words had travelled around the temple and everybody was now whispering and commenting either with agreement or disagreement. Harry felt rather disappointed, the idea of that other Dragonette had sounded perfect. The downside was that the person was related to Saladin. How much help would a brother to their tormentor be? Even if they hated each other? They could be trading the saucepan for the fire. Still, that was no reason for everyone to start verbally abusing the submissive.

"Shh! SHH!" Harry hissed then glared around the people gathered to get them to shut up because the submissive before him was folding in on himself, visibly retreating without taking so much as a step.

"Sorry. It was just an idea." The submissive whispered.

Harry sent another vicious glare around the room, pinning Blaise in his seat with it. The ex-Slytherin glared back but was eventually cowed enough by Harry's scowl that he looked away. Harry looked at the submissive and softened his look. Maybe he knew more about the man and if he could tell Harry and the others then they could make an informed decision as to whether or not the stranger could help them.

"Thank you for telling me. Are you absolutely certain this brother can be trusted?" The submissive nodded frantically and a beaming smile came onto his face.

"Oh yes! Sayyid is the best, he's absolutely perfect! He's kind and loving, he's patient and hates when people take advantage of others. He is on the Dragonette council too and helps lots of charities. That's how we met, through a charity helping magical orphans. I was a volunteer and he was a sponsor who came out to see how everything was going. Oh, he's absolutely stunning, handsome, the best person I have ever met in my life. He's perfect!" The submissive enthused.

"If he's so perfect how did you end up mated to Saladin?" Somebody snarled from the back of the temple. Harry strained up on his tip toes to see who it was but couldn't see. The submissive slouched forwards and bit his lip.

"I thought…I thought Saladin was Sayyid. They look the same and I was waiting at the park to tell Sayyid that I wanted to join his mateship. I saw who I thought was Sayyid and ran to him. I hugged and kissed him and said that I wanted to join his mateship. I said that nothing would make me happier. Then after we mated he…he turned nasty and made fun of me. He called me the most terrible things. Finally he told me that he was not Sayyid…he was Saladin and that now because he mated me I was his forever and that I would be away from his useless brother…" The submissive dissolved into loud sobs and hid his face.

Harry could almost see the scene the submissive narrated. He could see the shock then the greed on Saladin's face as the stranger ran up to him calling him by his brother's name and declaring he would mate with him. Saladin had proven he was spiteful, malicious, vindictive and evil. He would have taken advantage then and there and enjoyed the despair he caused in his victim as he had enjoyed the pain he inflicted upon all his victims.

Life at the temple had been horrible for Harry and he had not had intercourse with Saladin more than three times since his mating, each time he had been unwillingly forced. He was a dominant though and wasn't called upon much, the submissives had it worse. Harry knew for a fact that the submissive before him had been called at least half a dozen times. At least the unwilling sex in the temple had stopped now, thanks to Harry. Still…if they could get everything to stop then their lives would be immensely better. If this Sayyid was their only option, then they had better take it and wish to Merlin that it worked.

Harry reached forwards to comfort the man but other submissives ran forwards and enveloped the man in their group, shielding him from view. Harry gave those who met his eyes a grateful nod. He reached for the wand, decision made. A hand caught his.

"Potter, you can't seriously believe…" Blaise ground out between gritted teeth.

"Nobody else has a connection nearby. Sayyid had a connection to him and if they were courting then Sayyid cares for him and probably is still looking for him. It is our best shot, because I don't know about you, but I don't know anything about Turkey's magical government."

They debated the issue for a few more moments before Harry finally won. Many were unsure but the submissive Sydney Leroy assured them all of Sayyid's goodness and Harry persuaded them that it was their best chance.

The only thing left to do now was practise before sending off the patronus. Harry needed to practise a bit with the wand to get accustomed to it, and it to him, before trying the large piece of potentially life-saving magic. Harry would start right away. And he would not give up until he felt confident it would work.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any profits from posting this fanfiction.

**Summary:** Non-Epilogue compliant. A depressed, lonely Harry literally stumbles into a man who seduces him with answers to Harry's problems, hands him the promise of happiness…and an invisible shackle to a gilded prison. With answers he hates in his hand will Harry be able to find the elusive happiness he deserves?

**Pairings:** HP/GW. HP/OMC. HP/OFC. HP/TH (Terrence Higgs). HP/Other Rowling Characters.

* * *

**Dragonette Debacle – Chapter 8 – Faith, Hope and…Magic.**

**30****th**** December 2007**

A few days later Harry stood and levelled his wand at the wall-door which was their only entrance and exit to the temple. He held it flat as he built his commands, his will, determination and his happiest memory. He built everything up as high as he could, the message he wanted to send as clear as day, at the front of his mind right next to his happiest memory.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry shouted and with an almighty flash of light, out sprang Prongs from the end of the wand. Prongs charged with his antlers down at the wall locking everybody in and passed straight through it leaving the thinnest trail of light in his wake.

People cheered from around him, patted him on the back and started screaming their joy. Harry kept his eyes closed, concentrating hard. He had to find Sayyid…find a man who looked the same as Saladin in a place called Mersin, a large and busy port. It was the middle of the night, no doubt everybody would be asleep. He paid no heed to the doubts, paid no heed to anything just willed his magic to find the man he sought, like owl post always found the right recipient.

Prongs' hooves stampeded over brittle grass, over sand, over rock, ice and snow. He ran over concrete and dodged around stationary vehicles. Hooves thundering soundlessly along muggle streets then charging through a painted wall on the side of mosque and into a wizarding street. Down and down the dusty road to a hotel. Prongs snorted at the concierge who let out a shriek as he bowled through the foyer. Prongs bounded up the stairs and along a rickety corridor before slowing and gliding through a wooden door marked 12. Inside there was a man in bed. Prongs snorted again and the man jerked awake, sat bolt upright and stared amazed and fearfully at the sight before him.

Harry bit his lip…Sayyid looked just the same as Saladin.

"Merhaba?" Harry didn't know what that meant but he continued with the spell anyway and delivered his message to Sayyid.

"Saladin Yusri holds 81 Destined captive at Karaman Taskale in a cave system. We cannot escape. We are mistreated. We want free of our Dragonette. Sydney Leroy begs your help. We need help to escape. Saladin Yusri holds 81 unwilling mates at Karaman Taskale in a cave system. Send help. We are mistreated." Harry passed on the message, repeating some bits which had the most impact first time around. Through Prong's eyes Harry saw Sayyid throw back the covers, face as anger as a thunder cloud. The man grabbed his wand, grabbed an outer robe ten opened the balcony doors. Sayyid looked over his shoulder and stared hard at Prongs.

"Keep my Sydney safe till I arrive." Then Sayyid transformed into a white Ukranian Ironbelly dragon and leapt into the sky. Harry kept his connection to Prongs for barely a moment more, feeling the magic wane, it's duty fulfilled.

Harry cancelled all three spells, the patronus, the one connecting Harry's eyes to Prong's eyes and the spell to speak through his patronus. The magic sprang back like a stretched elastic band, slinging back into place fast as a whip, snapping against its wielder sharply and burning with exertion. Harry gasped, blinked and leaned forwards clutching his knees and panting heavily.

"Potter, you alright?" Blaise asked with concern and curiosity burning in his brown eyes.

Harry waved him off and continued trying to regain his composure and breath. "Fine. Merlin, that's hard work."

"Did it work?" Blaise queried.

Sydney rushed forwards past the Italian and grasped at Harry's hands despite Harry having not let go of his knees. "Did you reach Sayyid?" His sea-blue eyes pleading with Harry for answers.

Harry nodded faintly and allowed himself to fall to the ground as he caught his breath but his muscles started to burn. "I did."

"What's happening? Did he answer you? What did he do? Is he coming?"

"He said to keep you safe till he arrives." Sydney let out a shrill whoop before grasping Harry in a tight hug and sobbing his heart out.

Harry weakly patted Sydney on his back and cradled him close offering the best comfort he could. Over Sydney's shoulder Harry met Blaise's gaze and saw a few Dominants loyal to Harry were gathered there too.

"Is he bringing reinforcements?"

"I don't know." Harry answered honestly. "He only said he was coming."

"Does he know of our number? If he has wits, he will know one man cannot stand and free fifty…"

"I told him how many of us there are. I can always send him another message in a few hours or tomorrow or something to give him our exact numbers. I should also give him more information on our whereabouts. Get as many people as you can together and write down any visual aids as they can remember to find the wall that Saladin locks on us. I don't know how accomplished this Sayyid is at tracking enchantments and finding hidden doorways but any help we can give will be useful."

"Rest first. I know how tiring the Patronus charm is even without the added extras."

"Yes, that was impressive magic. Seeing through a corporal patronus is a very high level spell." The dominant's strong Indian accent gave a lilt to the words and strange pauses between phonemes.

"Thank you." Harry accepted the compliment. "I'll be fine though. The important thing is that we get out and that we get out soon. We need to…" They continued to plan for a few more hours, carefully plotting out their next.

Just as they finished all their plotting, the great wall to their gilded cage ground open. With gasps and choked noises of fear the people in the temple rushed around and drew back away from the opening wall where Saladin was striding in dragging a silent woman behind him.

Harry quickly shoved the newly created wand between their bodies. Sydney tensed at both the noise of the opening wall and at the feel of the wand. Sydney's hands then took the wand and carefully manoeuvred it between their bodies and down between Harry's legs where the edge of the pillow was.

Sydney quickly but carefully tapped Harry's inner thigh indicating he wanted Harry to move. Harry quickly but subtly did so as Saladin strode into the room scales flashing on his skin as he dragged the silent woman in by her hair. One more shift later and the wand was stowed underneath the pillow between Sydney and Harry and Sydney was pressing as close as he could shaking and shivering in fear.

Saladin threw the woman to the floor with a snarl. She fell with no noise and once stationary on the floor the woman held up her hands in front of her face as if to protect herself from incoming blows.

"Pathetic creature!" Saladin spat. "You're only good for breeding and look at you, too pathetic to even know how to pleasure your mate. You will learn." He scorned the woman, a sickly sneer on his face. Then he looked up and those hateful red-brown eyes surfed over everybody in the room. "Where are my dominants?!"

Harry shared a look with Blaise before they both stood up and moved forwards with the other Dominants, Harry passing Sydney off to a group of submissives who shimmied forwards on their knees to take him. Saladin held a small inspection looking each dominant up and down. Eventually he stepped back and turned an intimidating glare on everybody. Harry met the glare with one of his own and Saladin was taken aback for a moment before scowling further.

"I have received word from my brother that he shall be arriving with members of the Dragonette council to check the state of my mateship. I have no doubts that he will find everybody in this mateship live with happiness, contentment and are the picture of health. You, dominants, will use whatever force you deem necessary to ensure everybody's cooperation. The council will leave here thinking this place is a model mateship and I will kill anybody who even attempts to dissuade the council from that opinion. Do you understand?"

Harry, along with all the other dominants, agreed and Saladin left. Harry then turned to the group the moment the door was closed.

"Anyone even attempting to obey that order…" Harry started to say but one of the Dominants who had fought against him and brought misery to the mateship stepped forwards. It was the ex-ringleader of the gang, the last leaders of the mateship.

"Shut it Potter. Look, I know we've done some bad things…awful things. But we hate Saladin just as much as the rest of yah. I can't speak for the others but I did horrible things because it gave me power. If there is a chance of being free from Saladin then I will fight for that freedom, not against it. I want my life back, and I want outta these stinking stone caves!"

"Here, here!" Agreed the people in that Dominant's group.

Harry eyed them all wearily then nodded slowly. "You understand that I don't trust you."

"Blimey, I don't trust you neither but as far as I'm concerned I want shot of Saladin and you have just provided that. I'll go along with everything as long as I get free of the likes of him. We might have been the big and bad in here Potter, but we ain't got nothing on the likes of him and you don't know nothing of what we've all been through!"

Harry considered him for a moment wanting to believe the ringleader. After a few moments Harry glanced over to Blaise to see his take on the situation. Blaise was giving the ringleader and the rest of the group a calculating look but eventually tuned to Harry and nodded.

"Very well then. We just need to wait for the council and Sayyid."

After a few more hours it was time for Harry to send another message to Sayyid. They had a list of all the points they needed for Sayyid to understand before coming, and they wanted Sayyid to know what Saladin had threatened and what their true numbers were category by category.

Harry shut his eyes, pushed all thoughts of fatigue, physical pain and emotional pain away. He pulled up his happiest memory again, let himself revel in the happiness there, let it heal his soul and burgeon his confidence. Then he pulled up his message to the forefront of his mind and cast the spells once more.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

Again Prongs leapt from the wand and galloped towards the wall. Harry concentrated on Prongs finding Sayyid again and watched patiently as the magic guided Prongs across desert and rock, over mountains and onto a large plateau filled with both dragons and people alike. Prongs reared his head and slowed to a canter, jigging around the many people who looked with awe and shock until Prongs came in front of Sayyid again. The man was dressed in a white Arabian robe with rope at the waist and a thick shawl over his shoulders. Sayyid bowed to the stag and Harry felt some respect rise inside him for the man, despite his bitterness and anger that welled up at seeing a face identical to Saladin's minus the sneer.

"My friends!" Sayyid swept his arms wide as if reaching out to all the beings around him. "My friends, my Lords, my exulted Excellency's! This is the being that visited me and told me of my brother's wickedness! Speak friend! Speak and tell us your story again."

Harry steeled up his nerves. Speaking through a patronus was okay, holding a conversation through one was so horrifically magic draining that Harry dared not do much more than deliver a message and watch how it was received.

"Saladin Yusri holds 81 of us captive at Karaman Taskale in a cave system. We have twenty three carriers, dominants and submissives. Among the 81 are twelve children though six of our carriers are currently pregnant. We cannot escape. The wall will open only for Saladin. There is no way out from inside the temple, we need the door to be opened for us to escape. We are mistreated. We are hurt. We are desperate. We need help. Saladin has told us of your visit. We have been threatened with death if we show you a less than idealistic mateship. A few in our number are willing to sacrifice the truth to you. Will you come?"

Harry fell silent then, cancelling the speech spell as the strain became too much. He hoped they needed no more information than that. From the angry looks, the roars of outrage and the mutterings of condemnation for Saladin Harry knew they were set against the Dragonette.

"Oh we will come!" One elderly man said sternly.

"Yesssss. We come and SSSSSaladin will pay for his crimesssss before their Exccccellencessssssss." One man hissed and then as if he could not control himself he transformed into a huge dragon with smoke pluming from his mouth in his rage.

"Prepare for us in five days. We are coming." Sayyid said, sincerely.

That was all the answer Harry needed.

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AN: My apologies for the delay. Between life, ilnesses and writers block I haven't dedicated much time to this story. I know the chapters I give you are a lot behind the chapters I am currently writing but until I got through my writers block I couldn't bare to give up any of the other chapters.

To make it up to you all, because my writers block is gone and the story is nearly finished, I will be update a lot today. By a lot I mean I have up to chapter 14 ready and waiting to post. As of 10seconds ago my whole story word count is 99190words. There is lots more story to come. I told you, I will not abandon my story.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any profits from posting this fanfiction.

**Summary:** Non-Epilogue compliant. A depressed, lonely Harry literally stumbles into a man who seduces him with answers to Harry's problems, hands him the promise of happiness…and an invisible shackle to a gilded prison. With answers he hates in his hand will Harry be able to find the elusive happiness he deserves?

**Pairings:** HP/GW. HP/OMC. HP/OFC. HP/TH (Terrence Higgs). HP/Other Rowling Characters.

* * *

**Dragonette Debacle – Chapter 9 – Boy Saviours**

**3****rd**** January 2008**

The last five days were torture.

Saladin had not been seen for the whole five days. Food had been scarce. Tensions were high. People were arguing, crying, and geared up with excitement all at a moment's notice. Nervous and anticipatory looks were cast at the wall-door every few minutes even though they had to wait those five days. Because they now had a wand they were able to keep a more accurate read on the time and date. Somebody would use the wand every few minutes to see what the time was.

The wait was agonising.

The worst part was perhaps all the dreaming going on. Everybody, now that there was such a strong hope for them, were dreaming about what was to come in their lives. Would they find another mateship? Would they go to work? Where would they live? Would they like to see a snowy country or go to a hot country? Would they go home? Would their families still remember them…still love them. All the possibilities were endless and everybody around Harry kept sharing their ideas for what they would do with their freedom.

Harry had mentioned to Blaise that he wished they'd stop. Not because he didn't want their hopes to be shattered but because their planning was making the wait more excruciating.

Blaise had told him that he just wished everyone would shut up. The hum and buzz of constant talking was giving him nightmares and a headache.

Waiting.

Waiting.

Harry was sick of waiting. He had never actively waited so long for anything in his life! He had never had the wait press down upon his mind. He hadn't waited to go to Hogwarts for this long, he hadn't waited to strike at Voldemort for this long and he hadn't waited for a stake out of a suspected Death Eater for this long either. It was endless, torturous and draining.

The minutes ticked by like an age.

Now it was finally the day and time had slowed to the speed of a baby just learning to crawl. Every pace forwards was measured and insufferably slow as if it was making sure that it did actually want to move. Some minutes took longer than others. Time was playing with them.

When the wall-door eventually began to slide open, a frigid silence stole Harry's breath from his lungs. The doors slid back so gradually this time compared to their slamming open as they usually did. They probably went at the same speed as they had always moved at. Everybody's anticipation and impatience made it edge open millimetre by millimetre.

In walked six people.

Harry stared and had to remind himself to breathe, air catching in his throat as he took in the people before him. There was Saladin, of course. Sayyid was there too. There was the elderly man who had spoken to Harry briefly that day. There was another man built like a mountain, huge and muscular with an expression set in stone as his grey eyes swept the room. There was a shorter man who looked very anxious as he looked around the room, eyes fluttering around as if desperately searching for something kind in a terrible environment. Harry didn't know why they sent somebody so scared however as the last member of their party was a woman dressed from head to foot in a black robe were all you could see of her was her eyes Harry made the educated guess that besides the elderly man there was a person from each classification of Destined. There was a dominant, a submissive and a carrier. With Sayyid they also had a Dragonette. Harry wondered if the Elder was a member of the council or another Dragonette. Either way…either way they had arrived.

"So this is your mateship." The elder said, rubbing his thumb and forefinger over his jaw to either side of his chin. He looked around executively though with nothing showing on his face except a cool detachedness. "Looks rather large for just one Dragon to look after."

""I take care of them all, they want for nothing." Saladin growled sullenly. Harry could have laughed at how already Saladin was behaving as a petulant teenager would.

"They want for a good meal from the looks of them. And sunlight I should think. And more space I would imagine, for surely you do not keep them cooped up in this tiny space. It is inadequate for a mateship. I am disappointed already."

Saladin's face turned sour like somebody who had swallowed a lemon. The elderly man didn't seem to notice but wandered further into the room eyeing everything like a health inspector noticing every flake of paint from a wall, every ridge in the carpet and every crack in a tile as if each inadequacy would mean a fatal wound to somebody.

"My mateship has never expressed a want for different housing, they are content as they are and I do not appreciate you coming to my home and…"

The elderly man waved a hand towards Saladin impatiently, as if with his fanning hand he could bat away the incoming words before they reached his ears. "Yes, yes, yes. You've said all of this before. The fact still remains that whether by choice or whether by…force…" On that word the man's eyes narrowed and he pierced his stare around everybody in the mateship making sure each and every person knew his anger at the implication behind that one word. Harry noticed many of the people in the mateship looked down and hid their faces. Harry wished the stare would find him at the back of the mateship, there was so much one could communicate with a look and if only the elder would look at him then he could impart as much as was necessary to change everybody's lives. "Whatever the reason for this, your choice of domicile for your mateship is unsatisfactory and substandard."

"Sir…" Said the timid man standing next to Sayyid. The elder turned at the words and Harry saw the expression on his face soften a little as he nodded for the young man to continue. "I…it…um…I can smell decay."

"Yes, I noticed it too Alan." The elder nodded and went back to looking around.

"You have spent long enough disturbing my mateship, they are anxious when there are strangers. You should leave now." Saladin ground the words through gritted teeth.

"Oh, come now brother." Sayyid patted Saladin on the shoulder, Harry noticed Saladin jerked his shoulder away and glared in return. "A mateship as large as this, there can be little anxiousness when new people come by. Not all of these people can claim familiarity with everybody."

"Never the less, that is true in my mateship. I demand you leave."

"No." The elder spoke again. "We are here for an investigation and investigate we shall. A look is not sufficient. I wish to speak to your mateship."

"Very well. Ramazan, Deidrick, Simranjiht come." Saladin ordered and Harry looked around to see who those people were.

Harry immediately noticed a carrier in the centre of a group of women stand up and pus two children, obviously hers, towards another woman. She had tears in her eyes but was obviously going to put on a brave face. Harry felt some dread build. If the woman had two children then she could easily be threatened even with just one glance. There was a thin, tall man with blonde hair and blue eyes, full Aryan looking man who must have been Deidrick. Harry knew that Deidrick, though he hadn't known his name, was frequently dragged to Saladin's rooms not returning for a while and when he did the man was an array of colours. He was proud but obviously weak in strength and mind. Lastly there was the cage fighter guy who Harry had beaten into submission a while ago. He stood up and moved to walk forwards.

Harry felt that their attempt to reach out for help was about to come falling down around their ears. They had a dominant who had been on Saladin's side before, a weak submissive who was easily beaten into submission and a woman with two children with whom she could be threatened into behaving right. If they were spoken to by the people coming to help them then…then all was lost.

Harry looked to Blaise and they shared a look between them. Blaise looked solemn. They were ruined.

"No." The elder said as he turned around and drew himself up to full height which, while not a considerable amount of height, his being and power reeked from him.

"What?!" Saladin hissed.

"No. I will not speak to people you choose. Make no mistake here Saladin Abd-al-Malik Qamar Yusri, you do not have any place in this investigation except to be condemned or reprieved. Attempt to skew _my_ investigation in the direction of your choice again and you shall find yourself extremely uncomfortable. Have I made myself understood?!"

Saladin didn't make a reply as such. He bared his teeth and glared, swivelling that glare around the room too and making sure his mateship knew of his ire as his skin flickered with scales and his proportions fluctuated bigger and smaller like he was a hair's breadth away from transforming because of his temper.

"Good. Now. Who is willing to speak to me?" The elder looked around again and some people, Harry was proud to note, took a deep breath in like they were steeling themselves up. Then everybody quailed under the glare Saladin sent. Harry felt his frustration grow. It had been decided that Harry would not be the one to tell the truth when help came. Because Harry had fought it out, it was other people's responsibility to play their part and save themselves. It was also to protect Harry. However if nobody stepped forwards soon then Harry would.

"None of you? None of you will speak?" Sayyid asked with sadness etched into his face as he looked around the room. The elder's gaze swept around too.

"See, none of them have anything to say. Your investigation is pointless. Your flimsy evidence suggesting I do harm to my mateship is merely the idle gossip of pitiful beings who take issue with my many successful relationship while they suffer with their scant few." Saladin said viciously and victoriously.

"And yet if it were true that you treated them well, would they not wish to speak of your praise?" The elder asked again and chuckled, a humorous chuckle. "Yet they say nothing. Make no mistake Saladin, there is something amiss here and the silence is as telling as your objections to our presence are correct to fear this investigation. Our wrath should we discover what we dread to find shall be considerable, make no misassumptions to that effect."

Harry smiled and looked around the room hoping that those words at least would give confidence to the people around him. Some were looking a little brighter but they kept staring at each other as if waiting for someone to make the first move.

Harry could have sighed with frustration. He'd give it a few moments more and hope that the people would try to save themselves, he couldn't keep being the one to save everyone. Some people looked to him and he tried to indicate to them to speak. Everyone who met his eyes looked down at their laps and then back to staring at their neighbours.

Then Harry's gaze met yellow eyes that seemed to glow a little in the light. The old man was staring straight at him with a piercing look that spoke of age, great wisdom, experience, patience and honour. Harry nodded slightly, trying to make the gesture similar to the one Prongs gave. He hoped that the elderly man would understand the gesture and that he would read something in Harry's stare afterwards that would persuade him not to be hasty but to wait in the hopes that somebody would come forwards with the truth.

Those yellow eyes flared. A light inside the yellow flashing forwards like a fiery explosion. The elder smiled and nodded back, standing straighter.

"Please, if any of you have something to say then say it. Speak out to agree if you must to what Saladin states, but please speak." Sayyid pleaded, his eyes scouring all of them, probably searching for Sydney among the crowd. Sydney was sat behind Harry, quiet and unmoving, pressing into Harry's back with his face as if in an effort not to speak.

Silence around the mateship. Silence and oppression.

"Nobody speaks, they have nothing to say. Now out! I demand you GET OUT!" Saladin roared, skin turning white and size growing. Saladin gained muscle mass obviously transforming into a dragon in his rage and fire leaked from his mouth as he screamed the words.

Immediately four things happened. The elderly man turned around and stood square on to the dragon standing right in the line office. Sayyid began his on transformation into a dragon, growing and morphing at a dizzying speed. Thirdly the mateship, seemingly as one, screamed and backed away. And fourthly Harry yanked out the wand and ran in front of the elderly man shouting the fire shielding spell to protect everyone.

The fire from Saladin hit the shield Harry put up and send a terrible thunder through the air as the shield struggled to stay functional as the wand's will not to contradict it's core's owner and Harry's will to protect against Saladin clashed. Harry's arm trembled from the effort to hold up the shield against the flame.

More people screamed.

There was an almighty roar, a thud of one body impacting another. The column of flame stopped and there was vicious growling in its place. Harry blinked as the smoke cleared and saw one white dragon fighting another white dragon.

"Pitiful!" Snapped a man behind Harry.

Harry glanced quickly over his shoulder still maintaining the shield spell but also casting a general shield charm which would stop the dragons hitting any of the other people in the room.

"What is sir?" Harry asked politely but transfixed on the scene before him.

"That everything had to come to this."

"To what? A fight?"

"Hm." That answer was noncommittal and Harry let it go watching instead the two white dragons having their scrap. Harry couldn't tell which dragon from which, they were fighting so close together, practically hugging each other as they tried to bite and claw at each other. Neither looked to be winning.

"Excuse me sir?"

Harry glanced to his left where he saw a boy no older than six standing there looking at the old man who was still stood behind Harry. Harry saw the boy's mother come running forwards with a desperate panicked look on her face. Harry turned to watch the old man and the boy hope rising in his chest. For the mother to be this desperate maybe, _maybe,_ the boy would be the one to spill the truth without Harry having to intercede and lead everybody in honesty all by himself.

"Yes young man?" The elderly man said kindly, crouching to the boy's height and staring into those dark brown eyes of the child before him. The mother had finally caught up and was just reaching out to grab the boy. Harry held his breath hoping all would not be lost, that the woman would not grab her son before he could speak and say whatever it was he had to say.

"Are you going to rescue us?"

Oh, out of the mouths of babes!

Harry felt a grin spread its way across his face. The boy's mother retracted her hand from reaching out to the boy and held her hands up to her moth in shock and fear.

The elderly man's eyes flicked to Harry and in the barest split-second, Harry knew their relief and hope was shared. The man looked back to the boy.

"Rescue you from what my lad?"

"From _him_. From Saladin the Dragon. From this cave." Harry saw the boy's mother retreat a step.

"That would depend, my dear boy."

"On what?" The boy asked bravely, cocking his head to the side to listen and consider what the man said.

The elder smiled. "On whether or not, you need rescuing from Saladin. It is only a rescue, if you are in need of rescuing. Do you need rescuing?"

"Yes. I think so. He hurts my Ma. He killed my sister. He breathed fire on her when she was a baby. In stories, good knights slay dragons that kill people with fire and rescue the princess. Are you going to do that?"

Harry laughed and then covered his mouth and looked to the ceiling, tears welled up in his eyes and he was just so _grateful_.

"Well, I am a little old to be a knight and even if I were a knight, I would not be able to slay the dragon. However, before you look sad my dearest brave one, I know some people who would very happily slay the bad dragon. And do you want to know a secret?"

Harry looked back to the scene and smiled. The boy was nodding looking transfixed.

"Yes, please."

"You have just rescued more than a princess! By speaking to me you have just saved everybody in this room."

"I have?"

"Oh yes, dear boy, you have." The elder stood up and put his hands on the boy's shoulders, looking flatly at the boy's mother. "I hope you realise what a special, brave son you have."

"I do." The woman said.

"Good. Thanks to…what is your name?"

"Dilraj."

"Thanks to Dilraj you are all saved from that abomination called Saladin." The elder declared and let out an almighty roar. He twisted on the spot transforming only partially to let out a huge roar that terrified most people in the room, caused Saladin and Sayyid to pause in their fight and make half a dozen men to come running into the room transforming as they ran.

Within minutes Saladin was pinned to the floor by the half a dozen men, the elder was standing at the entrance again and declaring that Saladin was going to be tried by the Dragonette Council for his crimes against humanity, dragons and magical beings. The elder then announced that he would make arrangements for a portkey to transport everyone in the temple to Ant-Lebanon mountains where the council would try Saladin and they could live in safety while arrangements were made for them all.

It only took an hour for the various portkeys to arrive and the mateship divided into twelve groups, each with a different person from the council with them. Five minutes to portkeying out the elder, Councilman Benedek Maks Sárkány, addressed everyone once again.

"Thanks to the bravery of a boy you were saved today. However, thanks to the bravery, power and skill of another you were given the chance to be saved. I wish to know the identity of the man who sent the patronus to Sayyid and again to the council meeting Sayyid called."

Harry shared a look with Blaise who smirked. Harry felt his cheeks heat and shook his head, a silent 'no' to Blaise to get him to not tell. Let the boy, Dilraj, have his moment as the saviour. Don't let him be over-shadowed by Harry. Blaise rolled his eyes but didn't say anything thankfully.

"Come now. I accepted, exasperating as it was, that you could not speak about Saladin for his threat remained strong. However, Saladin is not here and nobody in this room is a threat to you. Please, as payment for coming to your aid when you called, tell me who out of you had the courage to speak out and reach out first. Tell me who else is responsible for your freedom and liberty!"

Luckily, Blaise still did not say anything.

However, fate was not so kind.

"It was Harry."

"Harry Potter!"

"Harry!"

"_Harry_!"

"HARRY!"

"Harry saved us all."

"Harry."

"Harry."

Harry cringed as, with perfect clarity and joyous awe filled voices, seventy-nine people chorused his name.

"And where is this Harry? Step forward, my good sir, and be known to us all for your strength!" The elder asked.

Harry stubbornly kept his feet firmly planted on the floor without a hint of moving. His face felt like it was burning, his heart was racing and his palms were sweaty. He was tired, happy, fearful, embarrassed, nervous, and relieved. He didn't need singling out; they had his name that was enough. Harry's luck and silent wishes were unheeded. Everybody in Saladin's mateship moved back a step and pointed to him. Harry felt himself flush more and after a few moments of feeling a powerful stare on him he spared a glance up from beneath his eyelashes.

His eyes got stuck inside the bright yellow eyes which once again bore into him though this time the man's gaze held an indecipherable amount of emotions and thoughts in them. Harry looked down again and tilted his head to the side baring his neck to the man and rubbing it nervously.

"Not only the man who stood in front of a fire breathing dragon for me, but also the man who sought help. You are indeed an honoured Destined, Harry. Your bravery shall not go unrewarded of that I promise you."

"I don't want any reward. Just free us from Saladin." Harry called out to the man, meeting that yellow gaze once more.

The councilman squared his shoulders and smiled widely and with too many teeth showing. "As you wish."

* * *

AN: I hope you liked it, this is my second update today. Newest word count on this story is 100007words long. You have been a brilliant audience putting up with all the angst so far, be prepared for plenty more yet to come before the good stuff begins. We have some lighter chapters coming up soon though, and some funny ones that I have been told arebetter than the water fight in my story Dragonette Destined. I hope you guys think the same too.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any profits from posting this fanfiction.

**Summary:** Non-Epilogue compliant. A depressed, lonely Harry literally stumbles into a man who seduces him with answers to Harry's problems, hands him the promise of happiness…and an invisible shackle to a gilded prison. With answers he hates in his hand will Harry be able to find the elusive happiness he deserves?

**Pairings:** HP/GW. HP/OMC. HP/OFC. HP/TH (Terrence Higgs). HP/Other Rowling Characters.

**Dragonette Debacle – Chapter 10 – Trials and Tribulations**

**6****th**** January 2008**

Harry sat in the stadium of this huge underground arena where Saladin's fate would be decided, and the fate of all Destined in the mateship would be decided.

Harry had learned during his three day stay at the Ta'la't Musa Imperial Dragon Council and Dragonette Council that the council had decided to do an old ritual whereby people previously marked as Destined would stand before Dragons who would decide whether they should still be a Destined or not, and if not then the Dragons would remove the dragon magic that marked them as Destined. It was a ritual not undertaken in the last two decades because there had been no need for it. Now however, with the huge amount of people to find homes for because of a mateship gone wrong, there was a need for the ritual. It was so that the Dragons and Dragonette council could decide if they were responsible or whether the people's home magical governments were responsible.

"Sheikh Saladin Abd-al-Malik Qamar Yusri, the Dragon and Dragonette Council have herewith decided your fate." The man at the front of a podium, a young man with brown hair, declared. The twelve other members of the council, a Dragonette of each dragon species, nodded their heads and glared down at Saladin who stood in chains and gagged in the middle of the arena.

"MMnnnffffflaffff…" Saladin shouted unintelligibly through the gag, an irate look on his face as he struggled against the bindings and tried futilely to transform.

Harry almost felt sorry for the hateful man.

Almost.

"By unanimous vote, for your crimes against the most honoured Destined selected by our grand ancestors, we hereby declare you guilty. For your crimes of murdering the most honoured Destined and the most honoured offspring you have been found guilty. For the crime of torturing and raping the most honoured Destined you have been found guilty. For the crime of unlawful imprisonment of the most honoured Destined and most honoured offspring, we find you guilty. For your crimes against this council, we find you guilty. You, Saladin Abd-al-Malik Qamar Yusri, are a disgrace to your race and an abomination upon this earth. With the approval of the council, of your family and of all of your mates, for your many horrific crimes, it is my duty and my pleasure to order justice against you for your crimes. I therefore sentence you, Saladin Abd-al-Malik Qamar Yusri, to face the Imperial council of Dragons who will decide and carry out your ultimate punishment. I, and my fellow councilmen, have no doubts as to what your sentence by their power shall be."

"Wards up to protect the Destined!" The man declared and, from about twelve different columns around the arena, men stood up with their wands or staffs held high and they brought up the wards protected all the people who had turned out to see Saladin's demise. All Harry's mateship had been made to come and bear witness. Many others had come to see out of curiosity and out of links to the councilmen, dragons and Dragonettes. A few had just come to see it for the sake of seeing it.

"Bring out the Imperial Dragon council!" The man declared once more.

Twelve huge doors into the arena opened and in raced twelve dragons.

Harry didn't remember all the names of the species however the Chinese Fireball he knew, the Common Welsh Green, Swedish Short-Snout, Ukranian Ironbelly and, of course, the massive and ferocious Hungarian Horntail.

The Hungarian Horntail that was released into the arena, lashed his tail and raced around the arena circling the chained Saladin with its bright yellow eyes pinned on him. The Horntail looped around the other Dragons with the unmistakable yowling, screeching scream. The Horntail snapped at the other Dragons when they got in its way. Its long horned tail swished and thwacked from side to side, crashing into the stonework of the arena and sending stones from it tumbling to the ground.

Saladin had gone very pale and was struggling more to escape his chains. The Dragons continued to hiss and snarl at him and each other for a moment before they all got into a circle around him. The Hungarian Horntail was the last to settle in the circle, he kept pacing around the edge for a while hissing and spitting small flames, completely ablaze with maniacal fury. When it finally settled, it continued to lash its head from side to side, spitting at its companions and black smoke with the smallest hints of flame creeping from its mouth.

After only a moment, all Dragons launched up on their hind legs, rearing their heads and roaring. Some spread their wings wide, others stretched their tail and made their bodies massive. They were all rising up and calling.

"The Imperial Dragon Council have declared his fate is death in Dragon Form. Sentencing will commence in one minute. Those of you not wishing to see the sentencing, please leave immediately through the doors at the back edges of the theatre. I will advise that for Saladin's mateship, it is recommended that you view his sentencing to put closure upon your past and torment. However, as previously stated, it is your choice whether to stay and watch or to leave through the back doors. You have thirty-five seconds remaining to make your choice."

"Are you leaving?" Blaise asked, nudging Harry briefly with his leg.

Harry considered the question. He wanted to but at the same time didn't really want to witness such a horror. He noticed some people hurriedly leaving; among them was Mischa, Jurgen and Eshan. Nabih, Harry noticed, stayed stubbornly in her seat. From Harry's seat he could just about see Sydney, cuddled into Sayyid's side but avidly watching the scene before him.

"No. I best stay. I think, despite everything, it will do me good to see the end of it all."

"Good. Because if you left, I would have dragged you back anyway." Blaise was pale and shaking slightly but turned his eyes back to Saladin in the middle of the arena.

Harry looked back too but kept his eyes pinned on the Hungarian Horntail. It was one thing to bear witness to the death of his tormentor, but quite another to watch it completely head on. Harry didn't know what was going to happen but he didn't want to look at Saladin and potentially see something on Saladin's face that would haunt his dreams. The terror on a man's face when they knew they were going to die within seconds was a look that could haunt you till your grave. Harry didn't want to see that.

"Sentencing will commence now." The brown haired man announced then sat.

No sooner had he sat, then the chains around Saladin disappeared and Saladin transformed into his Ukranian Ironbelly form. The Ironbelly member of the Imperial Dragon Council roared, livid and loud, then reared its head back. As one, all the dragons attacked Saladin. Fire, brilliant blue flames, narrow fire jets, a purple to yellow flame, mushroom shaped flames and vivid red flames launched at Saladin. The Norwegian Ridgeback, known for its viciously venomous bite, dived for Saladin and sunk its teeth into any part of Saladin that it could find, mostly decimating Saladin's tail and therefore avoiding the killer flames headed for Saladin. Another dragon with long horns, charged and started bludgeoning and stabbing Saladin with its horns.

Within moments the whole thing was ended and the dragons pulled back with snorts of disgust. The Ridgeback spat out blood and globs of flesh in revulsion. Saladin still in dragon form lay completely still on the ground in the middle of the arena. There were no signs of breath from the once white creature. He was now blackened and raw, blood pouring from gaping wounds, acid leaving its own burn on the bite marks on his tail from the Ridgeback. He was dead, stabbed, poisoned, bludgeoned and roasted to death.

His reign was over.

They only had to worry about the shadows he left behind.

**10****th**** January 2008**

"Harry Potter, the council will see you now. Please go on through. Walk straight forwards until you meet the small stage in the centre of the arena. Stand on top of the stage and listen to further instructions."

Harry silently did as he was told. He was off to face both the Imperial Dragon Council and the Dragonette Council, who would both decide whether he would stay as a Destined or not and what should be done with him once that was decided. He was one of the last few to go through. They had broken the mateship down by category and then by alphabetical order. Carriers had been decided upon first, then submissives and now the dominants.

Harry, heart thumping wildly in his chest, made his way out into the arena and towards the small stage in the middle. Around him and above him, were the massive Dragons with glistening scales and horns and spikes. Harry felt like bait walking out unprotected into the arena. The only reason he knew he wasn't walking to his death is that he had seen others walk out and walk back again with their fates decided.

Harry walked up onto the stage almost trembling with both fear and tiredness. He was so tired. There was so much stress now, only a little of it relieved because Saladin was dead. There was the stress and worry of what to do next, not to mention the exhausting wait and the draining fury when it was announced that anyone remaining a Destined after the ritual would have to be slotted in to a mateship as soon as possible to best protect the Destined. Harry shoved that thought away. He had been raging and lashing out because of that news for the last few days and he was completely tired, emotionally, physically and mentally drained. He did not want to be in this situation any longer. He wanted to go home, to see his friends, to go back to work and his loved ones.

But here he was. In an arena of Dragons and Dragonettes. Tired prey on a stage.

Food on a podium.

"Ah, Harry Potter. Allow me to explain again what you are facing now. The Dragons beside me will be able to detect whether you are worthy of being a Destined still. I shall ask you some questions and relay some information to both you and them to clarify your strengths and character so they can decide if you are worthy or not. They shall communicate their verdict on to the Dragonettes and myself. We shall then tell you what will happen next alright? Now, just hold still while the Dragons sense you."

Harry thought the Dragons would be able to sense him well enough when he walked in. However, he sighed and nodded, rubbing his forehead briefly and yawning.

"Oh dear, are you tired out?"

Harry knew that voice. He looked to his left and met the bright orange eyes of Councilman Benedek. Harry smiled a wan smile. "Yeah. It's been a busy time." Somebody snorted but Benedek shot them a glare.

The huge Hungarian Horntail behind and above Benedek darted low, placed its forefeet forwards on the ground and screeched at whoever had made the rude snort.

Harry blinked for a moment, shocked, then laughed a little and shook his head. A Dragon just defended him. How strange.

"I can imagine it has been. There has been a lot going on recently, a lot of stress. You should take better care of yourself though Harry. You deserve a rest after what you did for the mateship. Sending a talking patronus, out of whose eyes you could see and out of whose ears you could hear, was not an easy task. Then I have heard tales of you helping others in the mateship and not resting as you should."

"There was stuff to do. Those people relied upon me for their safety in the temple, just because we are out of the temple now, does not mean that my responsibility towards them has dwindled. I may not be responsible for their protection as much, but I can help them protect their sanity and help them recover." Harry counter argued.

Benedek smiled that wide, tooth filled smile and crossed his arms over his chest.

The Hungarian Horntail spun its head around and Harry found the massive spike and horn filled head and face staring at him mere feet away. Harry nearly took a step back but managed to stop himself. He wasn't so quick with the instinct to turn his head to the side and bare his neck. He had done that before he was even conscious of what was happening. Once he realised what he'd done, he pulled up the collar of his shirt so it covered his neck and righted his head, giving the Horntail a small glare.

The Horntail hissed a few times in short succession, giving Harry the distinct impression that it was laughing at him. Then the Dragon breathed out and brought its head closer still giving a long sniff before pulling back and screaming to the high heavens.

Harry put his hands over his ears to block the sound. When the dragon finally stopped screaming, it dropped back to all fours and started crooning and offering nattering clicks and hisses. Benedek had his head tilted to the side listening. The man who had spoken to Harry when Harry first walked out onto the arena started speaking again.

"Right then Harry. I have quite a lot of information upon you dating back many years. Please could you clarify for us your role in…"

"Ah, no need for the questioning Councillor. Imperial Dragon Sárkány has deduced that Harry is of a more than worthy character. He recognised the Dragon magic upon Harry here, as a relative's doing and from the hint of information I gave, Imperial Dragon Sárkány has declared Harry's worth."

"Ah, very well then. That was nice and quick. Good. Good, good, good. Now then, I have several mateships for you to meet. I shall arrange a meeting with each of the Dragonettes from the mateships within the next few days for you to get acquainted and…oh! No, it seems that you have a child on the way with a carrier called Nabih. I shall put you in that mateship then Harry. One should never separate a carrier with the father of the child. Okay so…off you go then. I shall inform Rafaele Lucertola that he has another Dominant in his mateship."

"Hang on a minute! I don't want another bloody mateship! I don't want to be a Destined anymore either; it's given me enough grief and torment. I want rid of everything! Doesn't my choice matter in this at all?!" Harry demanded glaring around at all the Dragonettes and even daring a glare at the Horntail who so called declared him still worthy of being a Destined. The Horntail lowered itself to Harry's eyelevel and pressed in really close staring hard at Harry who stared hard back, anger overtaking common sense. Harry narrowed his eyes at the Dragon. "Who are _you_ to decide _my_ worth and _my_ future. If you are right then it was one of _your_ kind that subjected me to this mess in the first place!"

"Now Harry…" Benedek said in a grandfatherly, placating voice.

Harry glared at him. "Don't!" Harry snarled. "Don't try to dismiss that. It's the truth, let's face it. According to you, it was a Horntail who made me a Destined, that's what you just said. If it wasn't for the fact that I was _forced_ to face a Horntail when I was fourteen all because somebody wanted to kill me, then I would never have been chosen to be a Destined. If I hadn't been chosen to be a destined then Saladin would never have been interested in me, I would never have been raped and beaten and imprisoned for months on end and I wouldn't have had to call for help. So in the end it is all _your_ fault and I don't want to do this anymore! I don't want to _be_ a Destined so take it away and take it off of me!"

The Horntail screeched and slashed its tail.

"Harry, do not anger him! Have you got a death wish?!" Benedek shouted crossly.

Harry couldn't care less. "No I don't. Nor do I want my life condemned to another prison!" Harry countered and stared at the man. The Horntail reared up then stomped back down onto its forelegs screeching and hissing. Harry glared and met the yellow eyed stare mutinously. The dragon glared back.

Harry was furious! He hated this! They couldn't just declare him something he didn't want to be! It was becoming a Destined which had caused every mess in his adult life! He couldn't be with the woman he had loved, he had been lonely and over worked for several long years then he had been mated, raped and imprisoned by a Dragonette. There was no way he wanted to be a Destined anymore and that _Dragon_ in front of him had better unmake him a Destined or so help him he'd…

"SSSSsssscreeeeeeeee." The Dragon didn't screech it this time. It was barely more than a high pitched chirrup. The Dragon made air brush past his face and rustle his hair.

That one noise took all the fight from him and with a shuddering intake of breath Harry groaned in pain and bent over to grab his thighs. "Urgh…I don't want this…" Harry whispered as he panted harshly clutching his knees and thighs dangerously tightly. Tears welled up in his eyes, angry and hot but also bitter and cold.

"Screeeeeeey." The Dragon breathed again and this time moved away.

Benedek spoke instead, with a soft voice and a kind compassionate smile. "I am sorry Harry. He will not remove the Dragon magic. You are a bright jewel in a desert of ash and slate. Even if it weren't for your past accomplishments, Imperial Dragon Sárkány says you need the protection, love, care and leadership having a Dragonette will provide. Go and rest submissive, rest and know that Sárkány knows what you need and promises you shall get everything very soon."

Harry didn't remember leaving the arena, didn't remember much except those bright yellow eyes before blackness swept across his vision.

Submissive. Benedek called him a submissive. He was a submissive and he was still a Destined.

Life had just become ten times worse.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any profits from posting this fanfiction.

**Summary:** Non-Epilogue compliant. A depressed, lonely Harry literally stumbles into a man who seduces him with answers to Harry's problems, hands him the promise of happiness…and an invisible shackle to a gilded prison. With answers he hates in his hand will Harry be able to find the elusive happiness he deserves?

**Pairings:** HP/GW. HP/OMC. HP/OFC. HP/TH (Terrence Higgs). HP/Other Rowling Characters.

* * *

**Dragonette Debacle – Chapter 11 – Mateships and Babies.**

**23****rd**** January 2008.**

The mateship around him buzzed and hummed excitedly as they went about their morning activities. Harry watched from the end of the table as the eight people around him nattered on about anything and everything under the sun in several languages while they set about filling their bowls and starting their breakfast.

It had been nearly two weeks since that horrible meeting with the Dragons and so much had happened. As the Imperial Dragon Council said, Harry had been placed in a mateship with Nabih and a Dragonette called Rafaele, an Italian Dragonette whose ancestors were apparently Catalonian Fireball Dragons having immigrated to Italy when the Spaniard Wizards started culling their species for Potions ingredients. Now apparently Rafaele lived in Herculaneum, Naples Italy.

Rafaele had taken great pains to explain to Harry, Nabih, Ardziv, Navneet and Lisimba that he and his mateship lived in the ruined muggle village of Herculaneum, but it was actually a hidden village for Dragonette's because it was so close to Mount Vesuvius that the Dragons could hide better.

Harry hadn't been that impressed, after all Hogwarts still beat a ruined city hidden by magic, however all the other Destined from Saladin's old mateship seemed genuinely impressed with the story.

Perhaps Harry was just against Rafaele.

Harry glanced over to the Dragonette who was arrogantly explaining how luxurious their Roman villa was in Herculaneum to the very pregnant Nabih. Nabih had still not spoken to Harry, Harry hadn't especially sought her out but they had bumped into each other a few times and she had shied away from him, barely spring him a glance as if looking at him meant she'd be reminded of something awful. Harry couldn't blame her really but if you got down to the specifics of the situation it was she who raped Harry, her having only the blackmail to make her do it and not actually physically being forced as Harry was.

Harry closed his eyes and shuddered, scenes from that day replaying in his mind. He hadn't really been upset by those events in the temple. He supposed that despite how boring his time in the temple was, because there was that constant tension they hadn't really thought about the bad. Now he was more rested and in a calmer situation, Harry supposed he could process better the horrors he had faced. Harry grimaced again and shoved the thoughts away.

It could also be because the Dragonette council had arranged for all of Saladin's mateship to speak regularly to a psychologist that Harry's memories were haunting him. That bloody mind healer kept asking him ridiculous questions about 'how did he feel when Saladin took him to bed', and 'how was he coping with the knowledge that he was raped'. Harry had done his best to ignore the man but the questions kept coming regardless of Harry's silence.

"Harry. After breakfast I need to speak with you about what Esteban said about your recent visit with him. I am not pleased and we need to talk." Harry waved Rafaele's words away with his hand and petulantly stood up.

"Yeah well, I'm afraid I have other plans. Excuse me." Harry slipped off the bench and out or the room before the Italian could follow.

He really didn't like that man. Rafaele treated them with kindness sure, they weren't cast away in some cave for example. But Harry's nerves were rubbed the wrong way by him and it didn't help that he was shoved in Rafaele's care by the Council and then sent to bloody Petra where they could live in a community of Dragonette's all under the Council's jurisdiction.

Harry wandered the halls at a fast pace until he came to the library. The immense library at Petra had recently become his refuge from the world, Hermione would be proud that he'd chosen a place of learning as his refuge. In all honesty, his reason for going to a library was that Rafaele wasn't a keen reader and hadn't liked attending school where he was forced to learn things which didn't matter to him. It was strange how proud of that fact Rafaele was. So Harry had taken to hiding in the library seeing as he couldn't leave Petra.

Harry walked to the ladder leading up a gigantic shelf of books and up to the second level of the library. He climbed quickly and hopped over the banister. Walking around the maze of shelves he had become gradually more familiar with in the last two weeks, Harry found the section on fighting with magic and defending with magic.

Relief.

Harry was back with what he knew.

Harry grabbed a couple of books off the shelf and pulled them over to a table. Flipping through the first book, he came to a page where it started explaining how runes could be used for attacking in a battle. Harry didn't know much on runes, but they had recently become a subject of interest, perhaps because of all the various wizarding runes in and around Petra.

Petra was a Dragonette community under the Dragonette Council's control, but the mayor of the city was Sayyid Yusri, Saladin's brother and the one Harry had contacted. The Dragonette council had shipped several mateships to Petra while their new mates settled in with them. Blaise's mateship was shipped off to Babylon in Iraq, the Hanging Gardens still hanging if you were a wizard. If not then you would only see ruins. Blaise, apparently, was happy in his mateship though in no hurry to mate yet with his Dragonette. Harry's only friend now in Petra was Sydney who was already mated with Sayyid. Sydney didn't venture off alone though so Harry rarely saw him.

Hours later, having missed lunch, Harry finally wandered out of the library to go to the community dining hall for dinner. When he walked in his mateship all either glared at him, refused to look at him or sneered. Oh dear, it seemed he'd pissed them off. Harry shrugged and took his place at the end of the table away from them. What did he care if he annoyed them.

"You! Where in the nine hells have you been?!"

Harry looked up at the angry Rafaele and shrugged. "None of your business." A hand slammed down on the table in front of Harry making several people jump. Harry looked up at the owner of that hand. Rafaele's face looked pinched and angry.

"That is where you are wrong! You are my mate and are therefore _my_ responsibility. I demand to know where you have been all day!"

"You can demand until you are blue in the face and I shall not tell you." Harry said with the same voice he used to dismiss idiots who thought they could breeze through auror training on their name and status alone. Just as it did with the recruits, Rafaele's face got redder and his eyes narrowed to spits.

"I am your Dragonette! How can I keep you safe when you go gallivanting off?!"

"You are not my anything and I can keep myself safe, thank you very much." Harry said evenly and took a mouthful of dinner.

"Yeah, because you kept yourself safe from Saladin, didn't you!"

That harsh blow brought Harry to his feet and the rest of the communal dinner hall into silence. Rafaele's eyes blasted open wide with the shock of what he had just said and Harry saw the grief reflected in those eyes. However, damage was done.

"I'm suddenly not hungry." Harry said, pushing down his anger. He stepped around the bench and left the room, silence echoing lonely in his wake.

* * *

**31****st**** January 2008.**

Harry was sitting in his bedroom reading when a knock came on the door. He groaned aloud when, without waiting for an invitation, Rafaele and Nabih walked into the room. Nabih was pale and had tear tracks down her face but had a stubborn set to her jaw. Rafaele was looking stern and grim faced. Harry set aside the book he was reading and sat up straighter on his bed.

Since the fight in the dinner hall a week back Harry had ignored Rafaele and the other mates, keeping to himself and taking his meals alone. He hadn't gone to see his mind healer, avoiding Esteban when he came hunting Harry down. Harry had also, thanks to his trusty invisibility cloak, managed to leave the confines of the Dragonette community to use owl post before having to go back to his room in the village because he had nowhere else to stay for a while and because, despite the circumstances of its conception Harry was a father-to-be and he wanted to know his child.

"Harry, we have to talk." Rafaele stated and with a few swishes and flicks of his wand Rafaele made a pair of chairs appear which he and Nabih sat in.

"What about?" Harry asked, trying to keep his tone even and not petulant.

"Several things. The first is the mateship, the second is you. However Nabih has some news which you should hear, as it concerns the baby."

Harry briefly considered throwing them out regardless, however at the mention of the word baby Nabih turned her head away and ground her teeth together. That action alone made Harry curious. "Fine."

"First of all the mateship is desperate to return home to Herculaneum. We want to return home and while that would be no problem with any normal mateship, because I have taken mates from a disbanded mateship the council wanted to keep an eye on us all until we were all properly settled. Now all the others, Ardziv, Navneet, Lisimba and Nabih have mated into the mateship and are settled. They are recovering and they are healthy. Our mateship is severely out of balance however and this is down to you. You have been avoiding us, refusing our attempts to include you and are actively rebelling against us. It is causing friction and the dragon magic holding this bond together is very unstable."

"I thought I had already made my thoughts on this topic known. I do not now, nor will I ever, want to be a part of your mateship." Harry intoned carefully, making sure his diction was completely clear.

Rafaele slapped his knee and stared hard at Harry as if willing compliance with his stare. "You already _are_ a part of it whether or not I mate you. Because that is your child in Nabih's belly you are linked to my mateship because we are all linked to Nabih now. Your selfish refusal to have anything to do with us is breaking down the wills of all the mates under my care and damaging us. I won't tolerate it any longer."

"I think after everything I have done in my life, after all I have been through that I deserve to be selfish. I have read up on Dragonettes. I do not have to mate with you. Mating is my choice and since I refuse you and your mateship you'll have to find another way to balance the magic."

"But you are linked to us because of that baby. Dragonette magic ties you to the baby and to Nabih and Nabih is tied to us. We are all stuck in this whether we like it or not."

"No we are not. Biology links me to the baby, not Dragon magic. The books made no mention of Dragon magic holding us together." Harry searched desperately for the memories of all he had read about Dragonettes and their children.

He was absolutely sure the magic did not link them together. Dragon magic linked mate to mate to mate, any children of a mateship were tied to only the Dragonette at the head of the mateship by dragon magic if it was that Dragonette that activated the sperm of the Destined who impregnated the carrier. Since Rafaele hadn't 'activated' Harry's sperm at the baby's conception then there were no links to him, only links to Saladin who was dead. So in effect the baby was only linked biologically to Nabih and Harry, and not by bonds of magic.

"What does it matter?! You are the baby's father, she is the baby's mother. You both need to be together for the baby's sake!" Rafaele growled.

"Oh, bollocks. Yes, it's nice if the parents are both there but a baby does not need its biological parents to stay together. If that were true, there would be no orphans or single parents. Now I plan to stay near to be with my child and raise it but I have not had any contact or conversation with Nabih since September and neither of us seem to have the inclination to change that. I'm only here for my child. Believe me, if it wasn't for that then I would be back home in England."

"Urgh! Can't you just-" Rafaele's temper was obviously getting the best of him as his voice raised to a near shouting volume.

Nabih, however, interrupted. "You plan to raise this child?" Nabih asked bluntly and with a voice like a knife through flesh, stabbing and piercing.

"Yes I did." Harry said, chin jutting out in stubbornness.

Nabih narrowed her eyes at him and pointed angrily to her stomach. "You plan to raise this child, a product of our rape, humiliation and suffering?!"

Harry frowned at her disgusted by her words. "Of course I plan to raise her, she is mine. It's not the baby's fault she was created in that mess!" Harry declared.

"It is not a 'she', it is a 'he', and good. If you plan to raise it then you can have it! I want nothing to do with it! This child has been the bane of my existence since I met you. It was conceived in pain and hell. I would have ended its life ages ago if I had the means. Now it has a gender and I cannot be rid of it until its birth. I planned to send it away. If you want to raise it then you can keep it. I want no part of the hell spawn's life."

"How can you…?!" Harry spluttered, hurt and shocked at the unkind words.

Nabih turned her head away, stood up and exited the room. "It is due at the end of May. You will have your son then." Nabih spat the word 'son' out like it was poison and left the room.

Harry felt completely stunned. She would have killed the baby? Murdered it? Murdered his child? How could she…? How could anybody be that callous and evil?! Harry could barely understand the dislike for a child whose conception would bring back awful memories but to want to kill it or send it to an orphanage, abandon a child for something out of the child's control…it was abominable! His child…His son.

"I hoped it wouldn't come to this."

"Come to what?" Harry asked, voice barely more than a whisper.

"I had hoped a reconciliation would be possible. I tried to convince Nabih that…well, I suppose it doesn't really matter. Perhaps it is a good thing that you and I never had a connection like we should have. Perhaps it is a good thing that you don't want to be a part of the mateship. Nabih's hurt goes so deep, the mind healer said…well, that doesn't matter either." Rafaele wore a look of defeat, it wasn't a good look for him.

Harry couldn't offer any comfort, still shell shocked by the bombshell that had just been dropped on him.

"I shall speak to the Council about this decision. They shall contact you soon I expect. Goodbye Harry."

"Good…eh? What? So this is it?"

"Yes, this is it. As you said there is no magic linking you to the mateship, we have no bond and your only real tie was the baby. Since Nabih is giving it away and wants nothing to do with it…well…that sets you free unless of course she changes her mind."

"Is that likely? She wanted to kill it she said!"

"Yes, she did. Then you are free and unmated. I will contact the council. I wish you luck, Harry Potter."

Rafaele left then and Harry wasn't sure if it felt like a weight had been lifted from him or a bigger one had taken its place. Nabih was going to kill his child. He didn't have to be a part of a mateship anymore just like he wanted. Nabih was going to give her child over to him. The council was coming. Harry had a son.

Harry had a son!

Shock was replaced instantly with a terror felt by many men in their lifetime.

Harry had a son!

Harry shot up out of bed, grabbed his wand and forgetting shoes, completely he ran out of his room and towards the library.

He had a son!

Harry ran and ran, bare feet catching on stones and skidding in the dust. People shouted as he ran past barely able to dodge them. He nearly knocked full blown into Rafaele who had turned to see what the commotion behind him was. Harry didn't spare him a glance. He had to run, he didn't have a moment to loose.

End of May. Four months! He had four months and then he would be a Daddy! Four months!

Only four months!

And he knew nothing about parenthood.

Harry skidded into the library and straight over to the directory. He had to get as much information as he could, as fast as he could!

How did you take care of a baby?!

* * *

AN: This chapter in no way reflects my views on abortion or adoption. I was trying to write as I believe Harry would view the situation; a Harry whose sole desire was to be loved and have a family and who had suffered because he was an orphan and unwanted for much of his childhood.

I hope everybody enjoys the Spring Holidays and Easter (if you celebrate it). I'm just looking forward to more chocolate, as if I needed an excuse to eat it! Haha, thank goodness for gyms and swimming pools.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any profits from posting this fanfiction.

**Summary:** Non-Epilogue compliant. A depressed, lonely Harry literally stumbles into a man who seduces him with answers to Harry's problems, hands him the promise of happiness…and an invisible shackle to a gilded prison. With answers he hates in his hand will Harry be able to find the elusive happiness he deserves?

**Pairings:** HP/GW. HP/OMC. HP/OFC. HP/TH (Terrence Higgs). HP/Other Rowling Characters.

* * *

**Dragonette Debacle – Chapter 12 – Flying & Scaly Canine Companions.**

**14****th**** February 2008**

Harry skirted around the massive crowds in the dinner hall and found a seat right at the back away from everybody else. He ate his food as quickly as he could, neither enjoying nor disliking it. They had put on a feast for Valentine's Day and the communal hall was decorated with red, white and pink. Because it was a communal hall everybody was gathered for the special feast but still being rather touchy feely and affectionate with each other. It was annoying…and isolating.

Harry would have liked it better if he was home and celebrating with his friends as they always did before or after they had 'couple' time. But, no, he was still stuck in Petra by order of the Dragonette Council and so that he could stay with Nabih and the baby. Nabih still would not look at him. That brief conversation in Harry's rooms two weeks ago had been the most contact they had had with each other. Now she was actively snubbing him, as were the rest of her mateship who refused to make eye contact, except to glare at him. Apparently they had not appreciated being made to stay in Petra either. They had wanted to return home to Herculaneum but the Dragonette Council said that since Nabih was giving her child to Harry they should at least live in the same village until the child was born so it wouldn't be hard to find Harry to hand over the child. It was a flimsy argument at best.

The real reason was that the Council was hoping there would be reconciliation, or that being in a city for Dragonettes and Destined would help Harry, or the Lucertola mateship would find mates to fill the void spaces in their lives. Harry didn't think it likely to happen. Not for him at least.

He had spent his time researching babies and parenthood. It was a huge topic with lots of different arguments for doing different things. Harry was a little dizzied by the amount of information he'd taken in. He wished he could talk to Andromeda and Mrs Weasley, but it wasn't possible. He had managed to send one letter home and it had been answered but the answer had been short, having been intercepted by the Dragonette Councilman Adam who informed him that he should be concentrating on healing, resting and building relationships with different Dragonettes. His old life would wait. However, as an act of compassion, the Dragonette Council had sought out his old friends and family and had informed them of what had been going on.

Harry had nearly pitched a fit…well, when he said nearly, he meant he'd destroyed his old room in a fit of rage and then when Esteban the healer had tried to talk to him about it, Harry had blown a hold in that room too. Esteban had not been happy, had wanted to hospitalise Harry and use calming potions regularly. Harry had stormed out. He hadn't been back since and they hadn't forced him though there were people watching him at all times he had noticed.

Harry finished his food and left the community hall, bumping into Sydney and Sayyid who were not looking where they were going as they rounded the corner because they were too busy watching each other.

"Ah Harry!"

Harry flinched back a step before righting himself and giving Sayyid a wary smile. "Hello. How are you both?"

"Ah, we are good." Sayyid answered with a grin, winding hand around Sydney's back. Harry noticed the other members of Sayyid's mateship roll their eyes with dopey smiles.

"Oh, I'm brilliant Harry. Everything is brilliant! How are you? Are you enjoying the festivities?" Sydney chirruped.

Harry sighed and shrugged. "It's alright I guess. You looked like you were enjoying it."

"Hehe, yeah." Sydney blushed but looked at Sayyid and smiled completely lost smile again.

Dear lord that boy was crazy in love…with Saladin's look alike. Harry hid a shudder and took a large step to the right allowing them to pass him by. "Right then, well, I better be off. Enjoy the feast." Harry said and took of walking at as fast a pace as politeness would allow away from Sayyid.

Harry went back to the library to read some more, perhaps he'd find something other than parenting books this time. Have a change, try something new. Maybe he'd look at healing spells for children when they were poorly…just to be prepared.

* * *

A few hours later, Harry slid the books back onto their shelves. He was bored with reading. Wandering back to his room, he noticed everywhere seemed to be deserted. He made his way along the creepy corridors and up the many stairs, to get to the floor with bedrooms on it. Once there, he kicked off his shoes and crossed to the window.

The moon was out. A nearly full moon, shining incredibly bright over the Jordan land. Petra was a beautiful place, Harry had to admit. The Lion Temple was fascinating, though Harry couldn't understand how muggle's got the same enjoyment from it when they couldn't see all that wizards could. The masses of corridors and rooms hidden in the mass of rock the Lost City of Petra was built in was incredible too. The best bit was perhaps the views from his window. There weren't many lights except the natural lights from stars and the moon. Everything was beautiful and quiet.

Harry checked the time, midnight, which explained why there was nobody around. He should go to bed, it was late and he'd read a lot. But while his eyes were tired, his mind and body were still awake. Harry leaned against the side of the window and watched the world as time slowly ticked by. If only time would move faster. If it could be May already then Harry could have his son and go home. But time trickled by at a speed slower than a snail and Harry didn't know how to have fun in this place to make time fly.

Harry stood up a little straighter and laughed at himself. He could fly, screw the time.

Harry turned and grabbed his trunk lid, tearing through the various sections to find his precious broomstick. Finding it, he stroked a hand along the wood. He'd need to treat the wood soon, service the broom as well as give it another good fly. Perhaps tomorrow he could go shopping for a broom servicing kit and spend the morning cleaning, grooming and general broom care.

For now though, the beautiful night was calling for him to fly.

Harry dismissed the idea of putting on shoes and just opened the window, commanding the broom to up before climbing on and zooming out of the window.

Harry whooped and shrieked with joy as he sped up into the air. Air zoomed past him stealing the air from his lungs before he could even open his lips. His hair whipped back, his clothes plastered to his chest and flapped out behind him. Harry continued rising and rising, up and up. He closed his eyes and revelled in the feel of flying. He let the air blast away everything and encase him in only the joy of flying.

Flying was still one of his happiest memories.

Harry levelled out the broom and looked down at the ground metres below him. Harry laughed seeing how far down it was and as the danger of the situation registered, his heart rate increased as did his pleasure.

"Yeah!" Harry yelled and punched the sky once. Then he felt stupid and laughed at himself, shaking his head.

Harry angled the broom down and hugged his body close to the wood. He sped down faster than a peregrine falcon in a dive. Closer and closer the ground came. He could see the skid tracks on the floor from people who hadn't lifted their feet properly while walking. He could make out foot prints. He could see small pebbles. He was only a few metres away.

Harry yanked the broom up and he shot back into the air as fast as a bullet. He yelled and screamed as he sped up, looped around. Harry cut sharp corners, ducked and dived, swirled and looped. He barrel rolled, corkscrewed then performed a hammerhead turn and looped once more into another climb and a tail slide. Tail slides took a lot of courage because some muggleborn had taken the idea from aeroplane aerobatics, only with a broom the rider had to make the conscious decision to cut off magic to the broom, free-fall with the broom and then activate the broom once more and steady themselves. Oh but the exhilaration Harry got from dangerous manoeuvres was unbelievable!

"SSSSCCCCRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Harry snapped his will for the broom to activate as a piercing cry sliced through the air. The broom began levelling out and he came to an abrupt halt which sent pain through his bottom from the impact. The pain was immediately dismissed as Harry noticed what had made the loud yowling screech.

A Hungarian Horntail, fully grown and absolutely massive. Its head was full of spikes, yellow eyes ablaze, tail thrashing madly from side to side and its gigantic wings were spread out to their full width.

"Holy mother of Merlin…" Harry breathed and tried to convince himself to not be scared because there were no Dragons in the village, only Dragonette's so the Dragon must be completely sentient…not that other Dragons weren't it was just that Dragonette's had more of a human mind set…

"SHIT!" Harry yelled as the Dragon changed its body shape to as narrow as it could and started zooming towards Harry.

Harry angled his broom down hoping that some gravity would increase his speed and allow him a better chance to dodge the Dragon.

"SCREE!"

"Bloody hell! Oh Merlin's balls!" Harry cursed as the Dragon swerved to follow him. It was like the Triwizard tournament all over again.

Only there was less fire.

"Crap! Crap, crap, crap, crap…" Harry continued his mantra as he circled around then up trying to get out of the dragon's eyesight so he could swoop back down to the ground with a head start so if he had to run at least maybe he would have a few seconds on the Dragon and could get inside

The Dragon swung its neck around and then flew up after Harry. A quick upside down pull sent Harry doing an upside down U-turn and angling straight back down to the ground. He sped down and down towards the ground, a quick glance back over his shoulder showed him that the dragon was following.

Closer and closer to the ground. Merlin's saggy pants, the Dragon was still following.

The ground came closer, Harry prepared himself to pull up.

"SCREE! YYOOOOOOOWSSSSSSSS! SSSSSSSCCCCCRRRRRREEEEEE!"

The loud, ear splitting calls made Harry jerk up before he meant to, and over shoot it sending him back upwards instead of levelling out. Harry felt a muscle pull in his shoulder from the abrupt movement and winced, that would hurt in the morning. His leg muscles burned from clenching the broom, his arm muscles burned from straining and his hands felt abused from gripping so much.

"SSSCR. Scr. Scr. Scr. Yooooweeeeessscreeeeeeeee! Scraaaaaeeeeey! Scr. Scr. YoooooweeeeesssscreaaaaAAAAAAK!" The dragon called, the sound hissing, yowling, screeching and hacking. Harry spared it a look over his shoulder and saw that the thing had landed and was tossing its head wildly from side to side, yellow eyes glowing brightly.

Harry came to a halt on the broom and spun around to look at the Dragon. With body language like that, and the lack of aggression despite the angry blaze in its eyes, Harry had the distinct impression he was being told off! Harry frowned, completely bemused.

"What?" He asked, not thinking the question would carry the distance between him and the dragon but needing to say the question aloud anyway.

The dragon let of another series of hisses, screeches and yowls. It stamped the ground and jerked his head at Harry then around then at the ground and back at Harry and…Harry shook his head. Yep, the dragon was telling him off.

"Oi! Look, you started it! If you didn't want me to fly away, why did you come flying at me like that?!" Harry yelled to it.

The dragon opened his mouth and outright hissed at Harry. Harry laughed, not knowing what that meant but finding it funny anyway. The dragon cocked its head to the side for a moment, yellow eyes calming and considering, staring Harry all over with an intense look that sent shivers up Harry's spine. Harry turned his neck towards the Dragon immediately before he caught himself, slapped a hand over his neck and glared at the dragon.

"SS. SS. Ss." Oh now _it_ was laughing at _him_. Harry knew another Hungarian Horntail which had done that.

"Oi. Don't laugh at me!" The dragon hissed its laugh again before flicking its eyes back over Harry once more. Harry didn't feel the urge to show his neck this time however the shivers came. The stare lasted a few moments more before the dragon let off a hissing laugh again and crouched. Harry tensed. The dragon lowered its head to the floor then just like a puppy it started wagging its tail.

Harry stared blankly and incredulously. Really, that dragon couldn't be trying to…to…play?!

The dragon chirped and wagged its tail once more before jerking playfully to the left and jumping back to the right afterwards.

Hilarity overcame Harry and he dissolved into stitches of laughter. Yes, it wanted to play.

"Oh sweet Merlin!" Harry crooned, clutching his side as his laughter bubbled over and he laughed up to the sky. A Dragon wanted to play.

"Chiss. Chiss. Eerrssss?"

Still laughing but trying to calm it down to chuckles, Harry grasped his broom again. "Alright then. You want to play? Let's play!" Harry called and with one last roar of laughter he angled his broom upwards and soared. A flap and a screech betrayed that the dragon was following.

Harry and the dragon swooped and dived, soared and dodged for the next hour or so. Harry had done a few more dangerous stunts, all of which caused the dragon to screech out in protest. The most interesting reaction was when Harry had once again flown too close to the ground before pulling up. The dragon had landed with an almighty bang, screamed loudly and nattered at Harry, gnashing his teeth, hissing and spitting his anger. Harry decided he'd best not do any more close to the ground stunts like that again if that was the reaction he was going to get. The dragon looked like a hissing cat with his spikes standing up straight, his back arched, claws sharp and digging into the earth and a hissing and spitting mouth.

Harry landed slowly and carefully, the dragon landing a little way off with all the grace it could and a loud thud signalled when it finally released its weight to the ground. Harry stood up holding his broom with one hand and rubbed his backside, giving his legs a good shake.

"I really need to fly more often. I'm obviously out of practise." He mumbled still rubbing. The dragon watched on with amusement and something else dancing in his yellow eyes. After a moment Harry met the gaze and waited.

"Ssss." The dragon said, as if Harry would understand.

Harry frowned, shook his head and held his hand out palm up. "I'm assuming you're a Dragonette. Aren't you going to turn back to human?"

The dragon shook his head from side to side then gave a haughty sniff and raised his head up to the sky adopting a dragon's version of a snooty pose. Harry cracked a smile and shook his head. The dragon released the pose and took a few steps forwards. He dropped his head down low and then finally let it rest on the ground in front of Harry. He wiggled it forwards closer and closer to Harry, yellow eyes imploring, before Harry finally got the message.

Harry reached a hand tentatively towards the dragon's nose. Hesitantly he let his fingers brush over the scales. When there was no adverse reaction Harry let his hand rest there then began careful strokes arching his hand as much as he could over the dragon's face rubbing and smoothing.

"You are very strange." Harry commented which earned him a snort and an 'eeeeoooo' noise. Harry snorted in return. "You won't change back but are happy to let a stranger pet you? I can tell you are an adult, so yeah you are weird. If I had an animal form I'm sure I wouldn't demand people play with me and then pet me."

"SSSSeeeeeoooooorrrrr." The dragon whined and shook his head, dislodging Harry's hand and knocking Harry to the ground. Harry winced as the impact sent some renewed pain through his bottom and his broom clattered to the floor. The dragon gave a full body shake then, like a dog trying to shake off water, and rose up to full height.

Harry and the dragon stared at each other for a while, neither willing to break the stare. A few minutes later, it was Harry that dropped his gaze and slowly got to his feet, retrieving his broom from where he had dropped it.

"It's late. I better go back."

"Hmph." The dragon harrumphed but lowered itself back to all fours once more.

Harry turned and got back on his broom, launching back into the air carefully. The dragon took off too and both he and Harry flew low all the way back to Petra. Outside the house Harry was staying in the dragon landed gently and Harry flew up to his window, landing just inside and dismounting his broom. He propped the broom up in the corner then returned to the window looking for the dragon. He didn't have to look far. The snout of the Dragon was poking in through his window then pulling back out so one large yellow eye could peer in.

"Oi! Nosy parker."

The dragon sneezed and shook his head before giving Harry a look of disgust and flicking that yellow eye around the room again. Harry glanced over his shoulder trying to see what was the matter with the Dragon, the room was completely tidy after all. Harry turned back to the dragon, frowning and shrugging.

"What?"

"Oooorrrrr." It mumbled lowly and shook his head again. Then it stuck its nose in through the window and pressed it to Harry's chest giving one very large sniff before shoving Harry back and giving a gentle satisfied growl as Harry fell backwards onto the bed.

"Oi!"

"SS. SS. SS." The Dragon hissed its snickering hiss again and Harry glared.

"In that case then, good night. I'm going to bed." Harry shuffled back on the bed and slid in under the covers, pulling his wand from his pocket and setting it on the bedside table. He was just taking off his glasses when he saw the dragon staring at him. "Pervert."

"EEiiiipfffffrrrrr." The dragon snorted and shook his head before pulling back and peering in with that spying yellow eye. Harry sat up and frowned.

"You can't be serious. You aren't going to stay there while I go to sleep are you?"

The dragon nodded, pulling back from the window and standing up straighter and taller as if puffing himself up to demonstrate that he was doing the right thing.

Harry shook his head in disbelief. "You can't honestly…"

"Ssssssss." The dragon hissed gently and blew gently into the room. Harry tutted his tongue as the sudden gust of wind made him shut his eyes. When the wind stopped, he opened his eyes again and looked at the dragon. The dragon stared back evenly with a stubborn and determined look in its eye.

"Oh fine. Stay there and watch if that's how you get your jollies. Good night."

The dragon made no comment or noise after that. Harry closed his eyes and turned his back on the dragon thinking that it would leave after a while. A feeling of peace came with the rush of tiredness as Harry settled on his pillow with the blankets pulled up to his neck. He was very aware of the dragon near him but, strangely, he was calmed by it and not worried. That was peculiar. Another strange thing was that the Dragon didn't leave even as Harry pretended to be asleep. Harry waited ages but there was no noise except the gentle puff of breaths from both he and the dragon. Eventually that lured him to sleep, the dragon watching on.

* * *

AN: And where exactly did April and May disappear to? Blink and you miss a whole chunk of time. I am very sorry for the long delay! I have no idea what happened. Blame real life, what can you do?! Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter, it's my favourite.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any profits from posting this fanfiction.

**Summary:** Non-Epilogue compliant. A depressed, lonely Harry literally stumbles into a man who seduces him with answers to Harry's problems, hands him the promise of happiness…and an invisible shackle to a gilded prison. With answers he hates in his hand will Harry be able to find the elusive happiness he deserves?

**Pairings:** HP/GW. HP/OMC. HP/OFC. HP/TH (Terrence Higgs). HP/Other Rowling Characters.

This chapter has an original character being introduced and another of Rowling's charater's making an appearance. Please, feel free to leave your comments and guesses about the character which is JK Rowling's.

* * *

**Dragonette Debacle – Chapter 13 – Fiery Scots and Fiery Dragons**

**18****th**** February 2008**

Harry flipped open the book till he came to the recipe he wanted to try. After a good few weeks of eating nothing but European food and fish, Harry had ordered some venison from Scotland and was going to have steak. Good old fashioned steak, chips and peas…with venison meat and a gamekeeper's sauce. He couldn't wait!

He had the griddle all ready and the chips were going to be finished in a few minutes, it had taken him a good half-hour to prep those because other people kept coming into the kitchen used in the guesthouse he was staying in. Considering it was such a large house, it only had one kitchen available for its customers, the other kitchen was for the house elves. Not many people cooked in the kitchen but they did use it frequently for getting drinks and snacks which was why there had been so many interruptions.

Harry tossed the steak into the oiled griddle and waited a few moments before turning it over. He liked his meat very pink in the middle, if there was blood too then all the better for flavour.

"…so get in there, sit down and read somethin' other than ah gossip magazine fer once in your life!"

Harry frowned at the loud Scottish brogue accented voice which held all the attitude of a disapproving mother.

"But Maggie…"

"Don't you 'but Maggie' meh Merton. This is your wee bairn, so _you_ have teh know what teh do wi' it. Go on, get!"

The kitchen door opened and a young man all but fell through it, having been pushed by a bright frizzy red-headed woman who came marching in after him. Harry had to blink for a moment at the woman, whose frizzy red locks looked like they had been heavily curly before being dragged through a bush backwards. It was a stunning mass of red curls so tight and bouncing off of each other that they looked like they must weigh several kilograms especially considering that the woman wore her hair down to her waist. The woman wore a floor length light and dark blue tartan dress which she held up with one hand. Her other hand held a stack of books.

"What's that…oh! Oh is that venison? Real Venison?!" The Scot asked, amazement dancing over her features and her voluminous hair bouncing, the books being discarded to a table as she passed.

"Um…yes it is."

"Auch! Venison! I have nae had venison for months!" She crooned and raced over to the hob to peer into the griddle. She had to quickly sweep back her hair as some traitorous curls slipped forwards and nearly landed in the flames "Auch that's a beautiful smell that! You having it well done or you just sealin' it wi' the heat?"

"Um…I like it reasonably rare." Harry divulged and offloaded the venison onto his plate just as the oven went 'beep' announcing his chips were ready. "Excuse me."

"Oh ne'er mind me, lad." The woman took a step back and started running her hands over her stomach.

Harry eyed her from the corner of his eye. Was the Scot hoping to get some of the venison? The way she was rubbing her stomach indicated she was hungry. Harry served up the chips and magically cooked the peas with a quick spell. The sauce for his food just needed reheating so with a quick spell the gamekeeper's sauce was steaming hot.

"Auch that smells lovely." The woman closed her eyes sniffing deeply to inhale the smell.

Harry bit his lip. Oh, if only he wasn't so nice! "Did you want some?" Harry offered and when the woman looked at him, sky blue eyes questioning, Harry indicated to where her hands were still rubbing her stomach.

"Auch no, ah cannae steal your food! Bless you, ah'm not hungry at all. Ah'm pregnant. The baby's doin' flips in mah belly. Apparently it knows good food!" She laughed but still followed Harry over to the table and sat opposite him.

Harry self-consciously cut his food up and ate a piece. The sauce and some red blood poured from the meat and Harry could feel himself start salivating more after just that one bite.

"That does look good. Now yeh've got meh craving steak. Oooh, steak and cranberries. That would be perfect!" The woman moaned and leaned back in her chair rubbing her belly still, circling it round and round as if following the baby.

"Not another bloody craving! First pineapples, then kiwi yoghurt, then sausage and apple crumble, now venison steak and cranberries!"

Harry had completely forgotten about the other man in the room, but at the man's whine, Harry glanced over.

The man was about as tall as Harry but lithe and skinny like he didn't eat much or exercise. He had laughing dark blue eyes and brown hair that fell loosely to his shoulders in tempered waves. The man's most distinguishing feature, besides the beard that circled his mouth, was his bright purple and yellow dotted robes. He looked a right sight!

"Merton, yeh great clot, ah told yeh teh sit down and read ah book! Can yeh not even follow simple instructions now?!" The woman bemoaned and with a flick of her wand the stack of books on the table nearby went flying through the air at the young man. He huffed and stomped away clutching the books to his chest. He threw himself slovenly into a chair at the back of the kitchen and, like a sulking teenager, he threw one open and began reading.

Harry glanced away, not wanting to be rude or stare. He looked back to his food but only a second later he looked up at the woman who had stuck her hand out across the table. When he met her gaze questioningly she grinned.

"I'm Margaret McCorquodale-Sárkány, but call me Maggie. Everybody does."

Harry swallowed his mouthful, wiped his mouth with a napkin then shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Harry Potter."

"Aye, ah mightae guessed that! Ah wouldnae have guessed yeh'd be in ah place like this though! What brings yeh to Petra?" She asked, withdrawing her hand and putting her elbows on the table so she could lean forwards and engage more in the conversation.

"Um…what do you know of Dragonettes?"

"Ah. Ah see." Maggie nodded as if that explained everything. "What mateship are you ah part of?"

"None." Maggie gave Harry a questioning look and though Harry felt a slight inclination to share with the woman he shook his head instead and looked down. Maggie seemingly took that as answer enough.

"So, the Dragonette Council failed teh find you ah mateship after that scoundrel then? Ah cannae be surprised. That bunch of old codgers couldnae be worse matchmakers if they tried." She laughed and shook her head, red hair flying madly. That hair looked like it had a mind of its own! "Yeh heading back to the UK soon then?"

"No, I'm not allowed to leave yet. And I wouldn't leave anyway until my son is born."

"Oh ah?! Yeh're ah father to be too then? Jory mentioned that some of the Destined carriers were pregnant when they were rescued. Are yeh still with the carrier?" How this woman seemed to know so much baffled Harry. Every question was asked with a kind curiosity though, not pity or conniving gossip mongering.

"I…well…no." Harry said in answer. "Na…the carrier is going to give me the baby when it's born. She doesn't want it."

"Oh dear, that's hard. So yeh'll be ah single father then?"

"Yeah. I suppose so."

"Well then, have yeh been getting yourself sorted? Have yeh got all the things you need?" She asked and Harry had to be honest.

"I haven't got anything ready. I mean I've done plenty of reading and stuff, I basically read every book in the library here on pregnancy and taking care of a baby but nothing compares to actual experience. I was hoping to talk with my friend who is looking after my Godson. She raised him from a baby. I have another friend who had seven children, so I was hoping I could count on her. The problem is, I can't send them any messages because the Council decided I shouldn't contact my old life until I am settled in a mateship and I can't go home until my son is born because there is no way I am going to even attempt to raise him here. Everything is a bit up in the air at the minute."

"Aye, so ah see. Well, you should at least be able to get ready. Ah don't know what those Councilmen are thinking! They have nae got brain cells to rub together between them except fer Benedek. Ah'll have a word with mah Alpha fer yeh; see if he cannae get Benedek teh make the others see sense. Ignorant fools."

"You know Benedek?"

"Oh aye, Ah'd hope so. He's family." She laughed then winced. "Auch, feisty wee bairn! That was mah stomach."

Harry laughed as the woman talked to her bump, then proceeded to push her left side obviously trying to get the baby to shift over and leave her stomach alone.

"So, your first baby?"

"Oh no. Mah forth. It's his first." Maggie stuck her thumb over at Merton who glanced up with a grimace then went back to reading. "Ah've already got two boys and a girl. They would be with meh, but ah fawned them off on our Alpha fer the afternoon."

"Wow." Harry wasn't sure what he was saying wow to exactly, but still.

Harry and Maggie chatted amiably for a while and when Harry was unable to manage the rest of his steak Maggie happily devoured it moaning and groaning her happiness at the taste right out of Scotland. Merton tried to chat with them frequently but Maggie came down on him like a house of bricks each time. Harry thought it was strange, having not seen any relationships like theirs at the village. All the carriers he knew just agreed with the men folk. It was nice to see it the other way around, especially after Saladin.

Eventually though it got late and Maggie and Merton left so Harry went back to his room for a while.

When night fell and after everyone had gone to bed, Harry wandered back outside for a walk to clear his head from all the information. Information overload was horrible, but since learning was the only thing he could do to keep entertained, Harry had to put up with it. Nightly strolls or flying at night had become a norm for him recently.

Harry wandered through the Lost City, nodding occasionally in greeting to the few people still awake. One man greeted Harry with a laugh and a dismissive wave. Harry grinned cheekily, that man had seen him two nights ago wandering around at two in the morning and they had shared a quarter of bottle of alcohol before Harry wandered home.

Harry wandered down the streets enjoying the very faint breeze in the cool air. It was a reasonable night, about ten degrees, but Harry had warming charms on his robes to give him extra warmth. The stone cliffs around him usually helped insulate the City with heat but even during the nights there was little protection they could offer. Harry continued walking. He passed the wizarding potions merchant shop, there was a magic carpet shop then a group of different restaurants all of which were closed now. Then, from there on, there were residential houses all lacking in lights because it was well past the time for everybody to be in bed.

Harry sighed and leaned against the back of a bench and looking forward down the alley of houses. There were a few alleys coming up, favourite spots for the opportunist thief. Harry didn't fancy being their target, nor did he fancy a fight so he'd stay away and not walk further. Still, from where he stood he could see the Treasury, a famous muggle landmark.

Thankfully despite being so close to a tourism spot the wizarding and Dragonette communities were behind hidden walls and wards much like Platform 9 and ¾ at Kings Cross. The Dragonette community was closer to Winged Lion Temple and the Byzantine Church, not to mention the Qasr Al-Bint where the main Dragonette community gathered behind the wards. Any warding expert would have wet dreams about Petra and the way that the wards created almost alternative dimensions for wizards and muggles. It was incredible. Harry almost wished he could see the muggle sites as a Muggle saw them, but he'd settle for the splendour of the unbroken sights preserved behind magic.

"Eeerrroooosssss."

Harry jumped at the noise and spun around. Nothing was there!

"SS. SS. SS."

There was the hissing again. Harry looked up this time, recognising the hissing. There above him was the dragon he had raced all those nights ago.

"Oi! Spying on me again?" The dragon snorted and dropped carefully to the ground. The earth shook with the impact and some stones fell from a nearby house. If dragon's could smirk then Harry would believe that the dragon before him was smirking at the now fallen rocks. "You know, in some places, spying on me would be considered suspicious and you'd be arrested and questioned."

"Phrrrr!" The Dragon snorted and settled down low, craning his head down to meet Harry eye to eye.

Harry immediately turned his head to the side. "Bloody hell." Harry moaned and slapped his hand over his neck so it was no longer bared and vulnerable. "I've got to stop doing that!"

"Sssssss." The dragon hissed lowly, a completely negative sound.

Harry rolled his eyes, typical of a dragon to think he shouldn't stop baring his neck to him. The dragon probably liked that Harry was submissive to him like all Destined 'should' be. Harry wondered why he never had these instant reactions with Saladin. He had always been able to push the thought away and would refuse to do it. It happened instantly with the dragon before him though; when the Dragon looked at him Harry just did the action without thought.

"Yeah well it doesn't make you the weaker one now does it?!"

The dragon growled then and then proceeded to hiss and spit angrily.

"Well it's true!"

Again the dragon hissed, spat and started clawing the ground in disagreement.

Harry just settled for rolling his eyes. "If you were human it would be a lot easier to understand what that is supposed to mean." Harry turned his back on the dragon and looked towards the Treasury once again. He let his eyes trace over the beautiful sculpturing and then up the cliff. The cliffs were towering but still beautiful. The red colour of the rock, even in the moonlight, was stunning. Cliffs in England, excusing the White Cliffs, were grey not such a beautiful warm colour.

"Screeee." The dragon screeched gently, barely more than a whisper. Accompanying the sound was a very gentle nudge to Harry's shoulder. Harry turned around and saw the Dragon lowering its head and shrugging one shoulder gesturing.

"You want me to climb on your back?" Harry asked, recognising the action. The dragon seemed to hum a little in agreement. Harry felt his eyes widen. "A-are you sure?! That's…you barely know me!"

This time it was the dragon that rolled his eyes, those yellow eyes holding impatience and knowledge and something else in their brightness. Harry sighed and cast another glance to the temple. If all he was going to do was admire it from a distance anyway, then he may as well go for a ride with the dragon.

"Fine. But don't let me fall." Harry walked forwards and, very carefully, climbed up onto the dragon's long neck being mindful of the various spikes protruding from between the black scales.

Once Harry was settled and clinging tightly to a large spike, the Dragon rose. The movement was just as bumpy and jostling as Harry remembered riding a dragon to be. The Ukrainian Ironbelly from Gringotts hadn't held the same power as the Hungarian Horntail though. The Ironbelly's muscles had been weak but the Hungarian Horntail had rippling muscles beneath its scales and its strength bulged out as it prepared and launched effortlessly into the air.

Harry grinned as air rushed past him and couldn't contain his cheer for joy as they soared through the air and around a tight corner, Harry being forced to stare right down at the ground. They circled higher and higher like a bird on a thermal air current. They rose and rose. Circling and circling, flying higher. Finally high enough, the Dragon veered off to the left and started flying over the cliffs and valleys gently and unhurried. The wind breezed past Harry, no longer a roar in his ears but more of a whisper.

"It's beautiful from up here." Harry said and the dragon nodded its head making Harry laugh and clutch the spike gain to stop himself slipping off. "I love flying. I've flown brooms, hippogriffs, thestrals and dragons and it's one of the best things in the world."

"SSSSCCCRREEEE!" The dragon shrieked and nodded its head again. Harry supposed it was agreeing with him.

"You know, it's really hard to hold a conversation with a dragon. If you were human this would be a lot easier."

The dragon snorted and then flapped its almighty wings hard.

Harry laughed. "Yeah, yeah, alright. If you were human there would be no flying. You could get a broom though."

Little more was said for a while, the Dragon gliding through the air towards the Winged Lion Temple and landed carefully in the Dragonette communal courtyard. Harry dismounted and looked around. The courtyard was huge with potted plants and other floral features decorating the bottoms of brightly painted pillars. The huge pillars towered above then and supported a roof with a beautifully sculptured frieze.

Some of the friezes were painted pictures, some were stonework protruding from the stone walls and looking absolutely amazing with its detail. They depicted myths and legends, along with stories from the past. Harry found an Eastern version of the Three Brothers and Death. Harry wondered if the Elder wand would still consider him its master considering Harry had lost his wand when Saladin had thrown him in the temple. It didn't really matter either way but it would have been interesting to know.

"Eerrr?"

"Hm?" Harry hummed questioningly to the dragon. The dragon made a noise then looked around the temple before looking back at Harry. "I still don't know what that means. I speak parseltongue, not dragontongue."

The dragon gave him a very unimpressed look and huffed. Harry shook his head with amusement and exasperation. The dragon indicated around them again and Harry got the message.

"What do I think? I think it's stunning but I'm really not an architect or an artist. I'm an auror, I'm afraid what I know and do are limited to fighting."

The dragon frowned at him and scrunched up its nose. Then it flapped its wings. Harry shook his head again.

"Yes and I fly. Still, I don't see what flying has to do with buildings no matter how magnificent they are."

Harry looked around again and wandered over to a pillar depicting a dark shadowed person holding up a sparking staff and a curved sword. From that figure, running down the pillar, were dozens of other figures all painted in white except the figures with different feature,s which obviously made them magical creatures. Harry could see a yellow half dragon and half human figure which he supposed was depicting a Dragonette. There was a blue figure with wings which was obviously a veela. The shorter brown figures were house elves. There were grey figures too which Harry eventually decided were Demiguise considering they were in the East and because grey often indicated invisibility with more primitive wizarding drawings. Harry had always thought that strange because his wizarding cloak was a red-brown-grey colour.

The whole pillar seemed to depict the wealth of magical creatures fleeing before a dark wizard or a dark warrior. The next pillar along depicted the same dark figure at the top but various magical beings in their houses looking worn and tired. The next pillar along had the dark figure once more, but a white figure was painted halfway up the pillar with hundreds of magical beings on the lower half of the pillar standing behind the white figure holding a wand and a sword.

The next few pillars showed how that light figure lost the battle, the magical beings living in worse condition before finally a gold figure came and gathered each group of magical beings back together and formed an army of figures all with gold bits of paint around them standing off over a battle field with the dark figure.

The last two pillars depicted the golden figure battling the dark figure, a furious battle of different colour with a huge splattering of various reds trying to give the picture and the viewer a sense of blood, pain and horror. Another pillar showed a beheaded dark figure, the golden figure holding the head up for all to see. The other magical beings bowing down to the figure in gold.

Right at the end, was a pillar decorated only with a ten foot tall golden man with green eyes and golden hair. He wore a golden robe with a beautifully painted crown with different gemstones sealed into the rock decorating the crown. Between the man's outstretched hands was a swirling ball of various colours, different shaped people within the ball surrounded by colours and all smiling. Harry supposed it was supposed to mean that the golden man became king and in his hands were all the magical beings in his realm being held up and revelling in magic

How philosophical.

How close to home.

Harry turned away and looked around the room again. The dragon which had brought him, lay down, keeping his bright yellow eyes pinned on Harry. It made Harry feel like a child beneath a parent's gaze…or like a person under the gaze of a protector, of somebody who cared.

"Even in the olden days they had heroes then." Harry said and indicated to the story pillars. The dragon huffed a little, yellow eyes dancing. "It is a shame that heroes are always individuals, never groups."

The dragon made no comment just lay still. Harry crossed over to him and sat down next to him looking around the temple and up at the friezes on the roof. It was a group of blind folded centaurs chasing after an almighty snake, spiders fleeing from the snake as it headed towards them. A Basilisk, judging by the fleeing spiders and the blind folds. There was no continuing piece so Harry wondered which side had won; the Centaurs or the Basilisk.

"I feel stupid talking to a dragon you know. I know you are human so it feels strange talking to you." The dragon gave him a nudge and a small huff. Harry took a few moments just breathing then pointed up to the Basilisk frieze. "I fought a basilisk once you know. I was twelve, my second year at Hogwarts. All year I had been hearing things, whispers in the walls. I thought I was going mad. Then people kept getting petrified and my really clever friend Hermione managed to work out what was going on. Because I'm a parseltongue the voices I heard was the Basilisk in the pipes. Anyway…"

Harry continued talking for ages, the dragon just listening and occasionally hissing and spitting madly. When Harry spoke about the triwizard tournament and about the dragon he had out flown, the dragon next to him had snorted then started crooning and stroking the underside of its chin on the top of Harry's head. Harry batted him away laughing and continued talking.

He left out the most important parts, the bits of his story that only a few trusted people knew about. He didn't talk about the horcruxes Voldemort made, he didn't talk about his link with Voldemort and he didn't talk about finding the Deathly Hallows. Still, he told the other stories, feeling like despite only telling the dragon the stories, that actually the dragon was there supporting him through it all as he retold it. It was cleansing. It was intimate. It made Harry feel like he had a friend he'd made years ago, who had suffered through his trials with him.

Harry relaxed and leaned back against the dragon, shutting his eyes and revelling in the familiarity and safety of a being who knew some of the most important events in his life. It was like having Ron and Hermione both there with him only in Dragon form.

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AN: I introduced 2 new characters in this chapter. Only one of them is original…who?

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I haven't managed to reply to anything, hopefully I will be able to respond to your reviews soon but for now I have a lot on my plate so my apologies. I hope you liked the chapter.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any profits from posting this fanfiction.

Summary: Non-Epilogue compliant. A depressed, lonely Harry literally stumbles into a man who seduces him with answers to Harry's problems, hands him the promise of happiness…and an invisible shackle to a gilded prison. With answers he hates in his hand will Harry be able to find the elusive happiness he deserves?

Pairings: HP/GW. HP/OMC. HP/OFC. HP/TH (Terrence Higgs). HP/Other Rowling Characters.

**Authors Note: So this chapter has been a long time coming – I apologise. I have been having a lot of trouble writing it recently. Perhaps it's because my attention has been on my other story Metamorphose however I only started to write that story when I started having difficulty here. Regardless of that though, I hope you enjoy the story.**

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Dragonette Debacle – Chapter 14 – Councilmen woes and a lesson in manners.

**19****st**** February 2008**

Harry anxiously stood before the council of Dragons and Dragonettes in the council chambers at Petra. According to Sydney, who had come to tell Harry the news that he had been summoned, it was Sayyid who arranged for the Council meeting to be in Petra and not all that way away in the Anti-Lebanon Mountains where they had met before. Sydney seemed quite proud that Sayyid had been helping. Harry didn't know whether to be grateful or hateful.

"Ah! Destined. Thank you for attending our summons." Harry rolled his eyes, as if he had had a choice in the matter.

"We have become rather concerned with you Dominant." Another man said, the man obviously of Chinese descent and judging from the way the Chinese Fireball dragon was perched behind the man inspecting its scales the man was the Dragonette representative from China's regions.

"Why?" Harry demanded, short and sharp and looking around the room. All the dragons were gathered and their representatives, either Dragonettes in human form or Destined, were stood in front of them all. Harry let his eyes linger a fraction longer on Benedek who was holding a glaring competition with the man in front of the Ukrainian Ironbelly. The huge Hungarian Horntail behind Benedek was swapping his gaze between all the other Dragons and humans, giving them all a nasty superior glare.

"You have been rejected by, and you have rejected, the mateship we put you in. That by itself was a little worrying however it has now been twenty days and we have not heard of you being courted by another Dragonette or joining another mateship. You have also not kept the mind healer appointments we arranged for you and have rejected all other areas of Dragonette culture." One man started to say, the man had tanned skin but from his robes Harry guessed he was a Spaniard Dragonette or even Portugese.

"You being unmated still present us with a problem. Out of concern for your health we cannot allow you to remain unmated."

"Concerns for my health…I am perfectly healthy thank you. And it is quite frankly none of your concern as to whether I am healthy or not. As it is _my_ health and not yours you can keep all your concern and…" Harry thankfully didn't get to finish what he was going to say as Benedek butted in.

"They mean they do not want another dead Destined on their hands." Benedek said glaring at the others. Harry felt surprise and shock blast through him. Dead Destined? "I have been trying to reason them to no avail! Harry Potter's case is extremely different to Mischa and Deidrick's cases. They were abused for years! In Mischa's case that poor man had lived with prostitution to survive but being forced into another mateship was the last straw for him. Same with Deidrick. They were both damaged too much mentally so their suicides were almost inevitable, as distasteful as that thought is. Harry Potter here has proven to be very different."

"You, Benedek Sárkány, are extremely biased about this young man. To our eyes he is no different to those others and his refusal to join a mateship and to get medical help puts him at high risk of self-harm."

"I'm not going to commit suicide!" Harry yelled, completely outraged at the very suggestion. "What the heck are you people on?!"

"A man of his past has ways of dealing with trauma that…" Benedek continued only his voice was drowned out by the Chinese man talking over him.

"A man of his past should be in constant contact with mind healers. That he has shown a complete disregard for the necessary help proves how unstable he is." Harry felt his temper rising at a furious rate.

The Dragonettes continued arguing among themselves for a while, Benedek being the only one to fight in his corner. The sixty year old man arguing viciously and his yellow eyes flashed violently. The man obviously had a dragon form as he kept spewing smoke from his mouth when he was forced to listen to the others. As for the dragon behind Benedek, he was spitting and hissing like a hysterical cat whose tail had just been trodden on. Its tail lashed from side to side, he swiped his laws through the air furiously and his bright yellow eyes almost looked poisonous.

In the end nothing was resolved but the tempers went from bubbling over to icily seething when the Ukranian Ironbelly councilman made one comment.

"Your judgement is flawed and insane. You even believe that even with his fights and skills he is a weak submissive! He is quite plainly a dominant and you, good sir, are obviously too old to think properly."

"You…" Benedek said with ice in his tone and frost in his eyes. "You dare to call me a weak submissive?!"

The Ukranian Ironbelly councilman frowned with a look of confusion and then panicked confusion as the Hungarian Horntail behind Benedek pinned him with an evil glare, fire pooling around his jaws as he stood on all fours over Benedek. The councilman's panicked eyes looked around the other councilmen obviously searching for an answer to the question or a way out of whatever crisis he was now facing. Harry, for all his anger, could only watch completely amazed.

"You _dare_ insinuate that submissives are _weak_! You dare to imply that people of strength and ability with fighting are only capable of being dominants?! You dare to imply that I am _weak_?! You have the _nerve_ to suggest that our ancestors marked weak, _unworthy_ people as Destined?!"

"I did not…"

"Oh but you did sir! It is for our strength that we Destined are chosen! It is for our worth that we are marked! Those marked as Submissives are just as strong, if not stronger, than Dominants because it is often their characteristic to put others before themselves that get them chosen in the first place! That is not weakness! That is strength and courage beyond _anything_ you might have known and the reason they are submissive is because they need someone who will put _them _first and protect _them_ while they protect others. That is not weakness. That is honour and worth beyond your wildest dreams! Do not _ever_ insinuate that _any_ of the Destined are _weak_! Do you understand me?!"

Benedek had hissed his way through that speech and had advanced on the now panicking man until he was nose to nose with the councilman. The man began to nod frantically but Benedek didn't pull away straight away. He just kept glaring at the man. Harry was stunned silly when, after several long moments, it was the Hungarian Horntail who pulled Benedek back and away from the man. The Horntail snatched at the back of Bendek's robes with his teeth and yanked the man back. Benedek went with a curse and batted off the Dragon. Two sets of yellow eyes clashed and Harry could almost see the stings of communication go between them.

"Fine. Any more stupid…" Benedek then reeled off into a long stream of ranting in what Harry assumed was Hungarian. The Dragon waited it out patiently then snorted and turned to glare around the council. Every man in the room averted their eyes. The glare came to Harry and he was determined to meet it though he didn't know why he deserved to be glared at. Of course, typically, immediately upon meeting the glare Harry turned his head to the side and bared his neck.

"Damn it!" Harry cursed and slapped a hand over his neck again. He didn't bother to glare at the dragon because there was no point. And the dragon was already laughing.

"Right then. On with business." The Chinese man from earlier said. Harry risked a look at him and found his cheeks were coloured red and he looked a little flustered. His dragon was definitely flustered. It kept flapping its wings agitatedly.

"I agree."

"Very well then. As stated previously, your status as being unmated has us very concerned about your health and about your continued health. We have also heard that the fracture between you and the carrier bearing your child is deeper than we imagined and that the Carrier, a now mated Nabih Lucertola, has stated she shall give the child over to you after its birth."

"Unfortunately," Harry felt ice cold stone drop into his stomach as a man with Swedish Short-Snout behind him started talking, "due to the circumstances we find it inadvisable for you to be left with a most honoured Destined offspring when you are unmated. Therefore, until you are mated you shall remain here. Upon your child's birth if you are still unmated, and should the carrier still not want the most honoured offspring, then we shall find a suitable home for the child in a stable mateship until such a time as you are mated suitably."

Harry could barely control his rage. It bubbled up through him like a volcano threatening to explode.

"That is the decision of this council." The Chinese man finished with a pompous air.

"Not all the council!" Benedek sneered snidely. The Horntail hissed and lashed its tail. Harry almost felt grateful for Benedek standing in his corner. However his rage was tantamount and he could barely think straight for the fury and grief swelling inside him.

"So…" Harry began, his voice quivering and croaking. "So what you are saying is that a Dragonette _ruined_ my life and the people I called to help us all are going to _destroy_ what is left o it. Is that about right?"

"That is not what we are saying at all, Destined." This man had an Australian accent.

"Well that's what it sounded like! Merlin! I traded Saladin for a group of Saladin's! You all want to force me into mating and control my life! How does that make any of you different from that Dragonette?! A fine example for your species you are. A bunch of arrogant, selfish, power hungry, cold hearted reptiles who want to control everything and everyone by any means possible! Why in Merlin's name would I even want to consider mating any Dragonette now?! You are all insane!"

"Now now Destined. We are nothing like Saladin. He was a Destined thieving, vicious, abusive man and-"

"And you are no different!" Harry spat. "He manipulated me into the mateship and raped me! You are trying to do exactly the same. The only difference is that you are saying it is for 'my best interests', he only called it 'his pleasure'."

"Now see here Destined-"

"No. You see here!" Harry yelled, his rage seeping out and the stone walls around them all began to tremble, quiver and quake. His magic rocked the walls and sent small rocks cascading down and out of cracks in the walls. "I will have no part of any plan you come up with! I will not mate and you will not stop me taking my child. _MY CHILD._ You have no right trying to dictate my life and absolutely no right to demand that I offer myself to be raped just to keep my child with me. I will not whore myself out and you are the vilest of beings to even suggest such a thing! How dare you?!"

"Destined, we have made our decision. With your hysterics you are only confirming our belief that you are unstable and in need of a mate."

Harry's magic exploded outwards. Accidental magic ripped through the chambers knocking everything from the shelves and slamming all the council men back and away from Harry. The dragons in the room all made a lung for Harry, teeth and claws out ready to strike. Harry threw up his best shield spell, a spell used to separate people during a domestic fight by locking them into a space each. Before the shield was even constructed though Harry was knocked flat to the ground by the underbelly of the Horntail who had risen and stood protectively over Harry.

"Well I am mated and let me tell you Chun, I have exactly the same reaction as him! Germinio!" About two dozen copies of Benedek suddenly appeared and made a huge circle around Harry, Bendek and the Horntail who was snarling and slashing out at the Welsh Green Dragon next to him. The Welsh Green backed away with a confused and pained noise as lots of people appeared.

"Councilman Benedek! What is the meaning of this preposterous…"

"This, sir, means that I disagree with the council's position on this case and am leaving! Yes Leaving. Don't you dare even try to stop me Koloman, I am absolutely serious! If you want to be a part of this farce and ridiculous excuse for a council then you go ahead Alpha. But don't think that I will have anything to do with it and you can find somewhere else to sleep as when I'm through with them all the mateship will side with me." Benedek had started his speech glaring around the chambers but in the end he was speaking harshly to the Horntail next to him. The Horntail lashed his tail and snarled out a plume of fire towards the rest of the council. It hit the floor and scorched the ground but didn't harm anybody. Benedek nodded then puffed himself up. "I hereby take my leave of you. I wish you a great deal of luck trying to convince any other Horntail Dragonettes to join this committee. As my final act as chair councilman I decree that the accidental magic caused by Destined Harry Potter's highly emotional state utterly forgiven in light of the councilmen's outrageous suggestions. Excuse us. Come Harry."

Harry was grabbed by his arm and hoisted up onto his feet. Benedek yanked him out of the chambers and outside into a lush green courtyard where Benedek finally let go.

Harry collapsed to the ground and put his head in his hands. The council had…He was going to lose his child before he even had it.

"Oh dear Harry. I am so sorry."

"Can they…can they even do that? It can't be legal?!" Harry whined then winced at his tone. "It's my child!"

"I know it is." Benedek crouched on the floor next to Harry. The Horntail lay down and shaded them from the sun with an enormous wing. He also managed to block the prying eyes of everybody around them with his large wings. "Unfortunately it is legal. It isn't morally correct but it is legal."

"But…I don't want to be mated! Why would I want to be forced to mate and be stuck with somebody I hate for the rest of my life?! Dragonettes have caused me nothing but trouble and…and…"

"Yes I know. Not all Dragonettes are like that. I am not like that." Benedek soothed. Harry shook his head and looked up at Benedek. The old man's yellow eyes were sorrowful and dimmed.

"You are not a Dragonette. You said in there you were a submissive."

"Well…That's true. I am a submissive, and in my mateship I am not the Dragonette Alpha. However I was born to a Dragon and a Destined. I am technically a first generation Dragonette. Had I been born to a Destined and a Dragonette I would have just been a most honoured offspring. As a first generation Dragonette I had potential to be either a Dragonette Alpha or a mate of one, or even the mate of a Dragon. The options were wide for me. As I grew up I found I demonstrated more traits of a Submissive Destined so that is what I mated Koloman as." Benedek explained.

"Koloman?"

"This Dragonette here. The one who follows me around nearly all the time." Benedek gave the dragon a cheeky smile which made the dragon snort then screech. Harry winced but Benedek laughed and shook his head.

"He's a Dragonette then. Not a Dragon?"

"Well…He is a Dragon but he is able to take human form when he chooses to. Few dragons are able to take human form you know. He was the first in a long line of Horntails to be able to make the change in about twelve generations. I'm very proud of him."

"Ah." Harry said, not sure if he should be impressed or intimidated. He met the gaze o the Dragon again but looked away quickly so he wouldn't give in and show his neck again. "So what happens now?"

"Well, we can appeal the council's decision. That would be the best course of action at this point, however we would need good evidence to suggest that you are stable mentally and emotionally. They also still believe you to be a Dominant which adds to their belief that you would not be able to take care of a child. Since you are a submissive you have more paternal instincts and…"

"So it is true then? I am a submissive?"

"Yes Harry." Benedek said with complete conviction and honesty. "It doesn't mean that you are weak or any other nonsense like that. You don't feel weak do you?"

"Not really. I feel rather powerless now though." Harry admitted quietly and Benedek patted him on the shoulder then used his hand to block the sun which suddenly shone down upon them.

"Yes well anybody sane would feel powerless in this situation. What submissive means for you is that you spend so much time catering to the needs of others, in your case by defending them and saving them, that sometimes you don't take into consideration your own wellbeing as much as you should. So while you are concentrating on others, you need somebody who will concentrate on your wellbeing and is not afraid to enforce that with you where necessary."

"Take, for example," Harry and Benedek spun around to where the new voice came from and found a man with long black hair and piercing yellow eyes. The man was at least seven foot tall, a giant of a man, and had broad swimmer shoulders. He stepped over to Benedek and ran a hand through the older man's hair. "Take for example when Benedek here was about to start pulling punches at that fool Vsevolod Shwetz and I dragged him away. For his safety of course."

"Koloman, you have the stupidest choice of moments to become humanoid. Why don't you just change back and leave the talking to me." Benedek rolled his eyes.

Koloman pinned his eyes on Harry and stared. Harry fought the urge to squirm but couldn't stop himself from showing Koloman his neck. He put a hand over his neck and tried to glare but Koloman kept the intense stare and reached out to put a hand on Harry's head, holding it to the side.

"No. There has been enough talking." Koloman said gruffly as he knelt down and leaned in.

Harry felt a huge spasm of panic race through his body like lightning as the man leaned towards him. His breathing sped up and his eyes flicked rapidly around him trying to find a place to escape to even as his body froze in fear.

All Harry could see was Saladin.

Saladin coming towards him, teeth bared.

Saladin wearing nothing and controlling Harry's body to do his bidding.

Saladin promising pain and humiliation.

Saladin with teeth bared threateningly.

The teeth came. They scraped on Harry's neck and Harry jerked and let out a sound of pure fear. The teeth tightened a little and strong arms wrapped around Harry's body.

"No. Let go! Let me go Saladin! Let me go!"

The teeth pressed a little more and a growl pierced the air.

"It's not Saladin Harry. Saladin is dead."

"Let go! Let go! Let go!"

The growling continued and the pressure of the teeth stayed constant. They didn't press hard enough to hurt, just hard enough to be uncomfortable. Just to make Harry aware of them.

"No! Please no…" Harry called and tears bubbled over in his eyes. Tears of fear, tears of pain, tears of anger. "Let go! I said LET GO OF ME!"

"Shh. You are fine Harry. Calm. Calm down and feel."

The teeth abruptly left and a growl vibrated through the air.

"Benedek. There has been enough speaking. Quiet."

"He is panicking Koloman. You-"

"I said quiet. I know what I am doing."

The voices argued around Harry. Harry didn't understand why there were two voices when it was only Saladin with him. It didn't make sense. Harry tried to shake his head, tried to think straight. He tried to push the fear away. He tried to embrace the anger so at least he had some power in the situation.

Everything rushed away again when teeth briefly pressed down on Harry's neck again.

Harry gasped.

The teeth drew back.

"The bite is a greeting. Hello submissive." A deep voice penetrated Harry's mind and the calmness in the baritone voice sounded odd coming from Saladin's lips.

Then the teeth came once more. Harry cringed. The teeth touched then drew away.

"Hello submissive." The voice said again.

That wasn't right. Saladin only called him Emerald or treasure or mate…very occasionally Harry. Most often he was called horrible things. But mostly Emerald or treasure or mate. Saladin never called him Submissive.

The teeth came once more. Not a bite, just a presence.

"Hello submissive."

Submissive…Benedek called him submissive. He was…Saladin was dead. The council killed him. The council wanted to take his child and Harry lost his temper with them. Harry lost his temper and Benedek argued. Benedek brought him outside with the Dragon who turned into…

Teeth once more.

Koloman. The dragon was Koloman. Koloman who could turn human. Koloman was biting him. What had Harry heard from that baritone voice a moment ago? A bite is a greeting?

The teeth went away.

"Hello submissive."

"He-hello." Harry offered weakly. His voice was breathy, panicked and barely there. But the word was audible.

"Well done."

The body against his withdrew and Harry blinked rapidly to clear the fuzz over his vision and expel the memories of Saladin. His body felt shaky, heart felt like it was fluttering madly and his hands were shaking. Harry could feel his magic vibrating beneath his skin, in his panic his magic wasn't able to react because Harry was so confused. Harry rubbed his eyes, breathing heavily.

"A bite is given in greeting. A bite can only be given when the Destined or Dragonette has the instinct to honour the Dragon or Dragonette before them. If the instinct is not there then there is no compatibility between them, there is nothing to honour. That you, upon seeing me, cannot stop the instinct to show me your neck is the greatest sign of honour I can hope for."

Harry nodded trying to absorb the information. His brain still felt fuzzy, like there was cotton wool stuffed in there alongside tissue.

"Compati…we're compatible? But I don't want to m-"

"Compatibility in this would only lead to mating if the one doing the biting was looking for a mate. While we are compatible, my mateship is strong and steady. I have no wish to expand it." Koloman explained calmly and carefully, voice rumbling and yellow eyes earnest if a little bright for the solemnness of the words.

"Of course, had we been a couple of decades younger I am sure we would have had no objections to inviting you into our mateship." Benedek laughed. Harry gave him a small uncertain smile. He could hear the humour in Benedek's words but the topic of the humour wasn't a good one.

"Dek, I remember telling you to be quiet." Koloman said, eyes still pinned on Harry. Benedek huffed and let himself fall back so he was sitting on the floor and no longer crouching.

"Fine. I'll be quiet." Benedek averted his eyes with an amused smile and started humming quietly.

Koloman frowned a little at Harry then ran a careful hand through Harry's hair. Harry tensed at the initial contact but slowly relaxed, doing nothing to stop the touch. "That you feel a connection to me, and I for you, it is out of familiarity. I remember our first meeting in the council chambers in the mountains before you came to Petra. You talked of how that disgrace for a Dragonette said it was an Ukranian Ironbelly who marked you as Destined. If that had been true, then the reactions you have to me would have been the reactions you had for other Ironbelly Dragonettes. I have never seen you stop or block your instincts to bare your neck to an Ironbelly. You only ever seem to do it for me. You were marked by a Horntail.

"Horntails are notorious for being dangerous, we are the most feared dragon in the world and equally we are feared by Dragonettes. We are selfish, we are possessive and we are prideful. We like only the very best. When we chose a worthy being to mark, we often mark them as worthy of _only_ a Horntail Dragonette. You will not find a connection to anybody in a part of the world that no Horntails frequent."

Again those words took a while to process. Harry frowned slowly making sense of the words. Horntails chose Destined only for other Horntails ad there were no Horntails in Petra so Harry wouldn't form a connection to anybody else. But that wasn't right. Harry had flown with a Horntail the other day. He had been allowed to ride on its back. He had talked to it. He had wanted to show that Dragon his neck and had to stop himself.

"But…But there is another Horntail here. I flew with one the other day." Benedek lurched forwards, Koloman jerked back and both of them stared at Harry. Harry took a long breath trying to steel himself up as he sat beneath those two intense yellow eyed stares

"A Horntail? Are you sure?"

"It had yellow eyes, spikes all over its body, was black and absolutely gigantic. I would have thought it as Koloman here if it hadn't chased me."

"A Horntail chased you?!" Benedek asked, face slack with shock and eyes wide with astonishment. Koloman's face darkened with anger.

"A Horntail dared to chase a Destined?!"

"Well from the way it kept spitting and hissing at me I don't think it liked how I was flying. Whenever I did a wronski feint it had a full blown hissing fit. Then it all but demanded I play with him, he wagged his tail just like a puppy. Then the other night it made me climb on its back so it could fly me around. I assumed it was a Dragonette since it seemed to understand and react to what I said."

"Oh! Ahahaha!" Benedek laughed and gripped his stomach. "A Horntail behaving like a puppy! Oh I can just see it now! Waggling its tail, jumping around, hissing and stomping when it didn't get its own way. Oh that's priceless! Reminds me of Aikaterine! Ahahahaha."

Koloman shook his head.

"Humph. Must have been a young Dragon to behave like that."

Harry frowned and tried to think back on the Dragon. He tried to remember its size and what the books said helped you recognise a fully grown dragon to a young one.

"No, it was fully grown. It was about as big as you are when you are a dragon. It wasn't missing any spikes on its tail and its horns were all completely bronze. He definitely wasn't young. He was weird though."

"Hm. Well. I'll have to see who the other Dragon is. As part of the council I was not informed of any other Horntails in the area."

Ah yes. The council. Harry felt any cheer and neutral feelings he'd had during the last conversation fall away as he remembered the council.

"Do not look so defeated." Koloman growled and stood up. "There are many options open to us. First of all you shall submit for an appeal. I shall rally my family and fellow Horntails. We shall demand a reappointment of councilmen if we have to. In the meantime, I will see what I can do about putting you under the protection of my mateship and my family. We'll get you moved from Petra and closer to other Horntails. Even if you chose not to mate at least you will be in a stable environment that isn't this horrible dusty place."

That said Koloman changed back into a Dragon form and shook wildly obviously trying to get rid of sand from his scales. Harry got showered in dust and sand and Benedek started cursing the Dragonette. Koloman paid no attention just turned and stomped off, shrieking when Benedek did not follow.

"Alphas…honestly sometimes they think they know better than everybody else." Benedek said with a tut. Benedek then wrapped Harry in a fierce hug. "Do not worry. Koloman and I will figure out what to do. I'll sort out the appeal for you as well so don't worry about that. Go home, get some rest. Tomorrow is a new day and things can only get better from here."

* * *

**Authors Note:** The next chapter will be out later today. I have no doubt you will enjoy that one far more than this one as there is an…unmasking of sorts going on. Thank you to everyone who has continued reading, and a huge thank you to those of you who took the time to review.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any profits from posting this fanfiction.

**Summary:** Non-Epilogue compliant. A depressed, lonely Harry literally stumbles into a man who seduces him with answers to Harry's problems, hands him the promise of happiness…and an invisible shackle to a gilded prison. With answers he hates in his hand will Harry be able to find the elusive happiness he deserves?

**Pairings:** HP/GW. HP/OMC. HP/OFC. HP/TH (Terrence Higgs). HP/Other Rowling Characters.

**Authors note:** So this chapter was supposed to be out yesterday but I'm afraid my Gromit hunt (Wallace and Gromit – look up Bristol Gromit Unleashed) took longer than I thought and then I spent the rest of my time writing this story. So I am sorry for the delay.

I hope you enjoy this chapter – although I have a huge feeling you will.

* * *

**Dragonette Debacle – Chapter 15 – Dragon, Dragonette and Jory.**

**23****rd**** February 2008**

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Harry frowned from his place on the bed. What the heck was that noise? Harry looked around the room but couldn't see anything.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

It was really irritating. Harry got up off the bed groaning as he stretched his muscles. He had been rather inactive the last few days. Since the council's decision on the 19th Harry had stayed holed up in his room. He had read almost constantly because there had been nothing else to do. He had practised spells, practised various moves and occasionally done some physical exercise but otherwise he had stayed in bed reading and researching. It reminded him of hunting for Horcruxes. He'd mostly stayed in the tent then and studied, trying to figure out what to do and where to look next. Only now there was no Voldemort and Harry's future relied on the outcome of other people fighting with words and not Harry fighting with his wand.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"What in Merlin's name…"

CRASH!

"Merlin!" Harry gasped as the window smashed and glass fell to the floor.

"SCREEEEE!"

"Bloody hell." Harry cursed, shot a repaero on the glass and crossed to the window. HE threw back the curtains and found himself face to yellow eye.

"SCREE! YEOOOOSSSSSSSSSK!"

"You! You were making that tapping noise? That was driving me insane." Harry said and opened the window so the Dragon could hear him.

The dragon glared, stomped his feet and made a racket with his screeching and yeowling. Harry was surprised nobody tried to see what was going on. Though in a Dragon community it was probably common place to hear Dragons break things and making noises at odd times in the night.

"Yeah? So I can see you now. What do you want?" The dragon glared for a moment more, Harry turned his head and bared his neck. "Damn you!" Harry slammed a hand over his neck and turned sideways on.

"SS. SS." The dragon chuckled and Harry glared at it. The Dragon then lowered its head to the ground and thrashed its tail from side to side. The puppy Dragon was back, asking him to play.

"Look, I'm sorry but I don't feel like coming out and flying at the moment." Harry apologised and the dragon stood up properly. His body stood tall, his neck stretched out and head held imperiously high. The horned eyebrows raised a little in question and bright yellow eyes beadily looking him over as if searching for something.

Harry sighed again. "I am not in a very good mood to be around Dragons at the moment. They have really…" Harry's voice broke off with a tremble and tears rose in his eyes. He wiped his eye furiously, angry with himself for being pathetic and weepy.

"Eeerr? SSScccceeeeerrrrrr?" The noises were inquisitive though from the narrow eyes look on the Dragon's face he wasn't curious, he was demanding.

"Look, I just want to be alone for a while."

At that the Dragon hissed angrily and shook his head. He stood on his back legs and swiped his claw through the air in a 'come' gesture that was so completely human that it looked odd on a Dragon.

"What part of alone did you not understand?"

"SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" The dragon hissed angrily, black smoke dancing around its teeth. Harry rolled his eyes and resigned himself to going out.

"I'm guessing you didn't understand any of it."

Harry grumbled as he grabbed his cloak and pulled on his shoes. With a quick charm to tidy himself up Harry grabbed his broom and made his way to the window. The dragon eyed his broom then shook his head.

"You wanted me to come out, I'm coming out!"

"Phhhhhhhsssssss!" The dragon lowered his head and pressed it against the stone of the building at a low enough height for Harry just to climb out of the window and step onto the Dragon.

"Bloody hell. If somebody told me that one day I'd be letting a Dragon bossy me around again I would have shot them with a bogey-bat hex." Harry obediently put his broom down and carefully climbed out of the window. He stepped carefully over the smaller spikes on top of the dragon's head then held the huge bronze horns as he climbed over those, being careful not to let them catch him in delicate places. Once he was settled on the Dragon's neck Harry hugged the horn in front of him and held on as the Dragon lifted his head, turned and then flapped into the sky.

Harr felt the weight that had been crushing him the last few days get blasted away with the air rushing past him. It swept through his hair. It wrestled with his robes. It tore the air from his lungs. When the Dragon flew straight up to the sky and then dived straight back down a scream tore from Harry's throat followed by a yell of joy and exhilaration. The dragon huffed and yowled then pulled up and corkscrewed over and over and over and over. Harry would have felt sick but with every turn he felt more and more weightless and carefree. He felt better. Lighter.

The Dragon didn't land them for a while, just kept flying around. It zoomed over the Winged Lion temple, over Al-Deir, turning around and flying around following the cliffs and turning here and there to fly over the various planes until it passed over the Palace tomb, Silk tomb, Corinthian tomb and the Urn tomb. The magnificent structures built into the cliffs were amazing and Harry stared at them in awe as the swooped low to have a good look. He had seen them already of course, he'd been in Petra for a few months after all, but it never failed to amaze him. Especially since in the day time the muggles would gawp and gasp of the buildings and still they could not see the splendour hidden behind Dragon Magic and Magical Wards.

They then flew around to the Street of Facades, the muggle name adopted by muggles for the houses owned by the Dragonette community. They landed carefully by the end house on the street and the one higher up the cliff. Harry slid off carefully and moved to look down upon the rest of the street and the rocky ground below. It really was a beautiful place. Amazing to look at and magical regardless of whether there was magic there or not.

"EEErrrrroooo?"

Harry looked back at the dragon who came to stand next to him on the edge. Harry gave the dragon a smile.

"I'd love it here if it didn't come with such horrible memories."

"Ssser?"

"I've um…" Harry considered whether he was really going to talk about everything. He barely knew the dragon at all. He knew he was a Dragonette but that was about it. Harry didn't know his name, didn't know if he cared, didn't know if he wanted to listen…

Then the Dragon lowered himself and stared hard at Harry, so much demanded and begged for in that gaze. The harshness of the demands barely softened by the begging but Harry felt more relaxed, more secure locked under that gaze. He'd spilled his life to the Dragon the other day and the dragon had allowed him, patiently hearing him out and acting in rage for him at appropriate places in the story. Harry had felt like the Dragon was almost a companion on his past adventures even though the dragon was only listening to the story. Harry sighed and gave the dragon a wobbly smile.

"I'm not going to be allowed my son."

The dragon reared back shock written all over his face.

"SSSSEEEOOOOOSSSS!"

"The council decided that because I was unmated I was unstable and at risk of suicide o something so I wouldn't be the proper carer for my own son! Benedek also explained that they think I'm a dominant because I'm an auror and because of my past so the council thinks I won't have the paternal instincts or something to take care of the child. Benedek said they should know what a submissive is like. Then Koloman said that he knew I was a submissive and that I should appeal the council's decision. I really want my son. He isn't even born yet but I want him. They're going to ship him off to some other mateship if I don't mate before he's born. I don't want to mate though! Not after what happened with Saladin! I just want…I just want my son! I've always wanted children and while I hated the conception of him, and I don't particularly like Nabih because she said she wanted to terminate the pregnancy but couldn't, I…I want my son!"

Harry broke down into sobs and put his face in his hands. The weight was back, all his troubles returned.

"He's the only reason I stayed in this horrible place! It looks magical and beautiful but it hides so much from the world and the ruins the muggles see might as well represent my life! Dragonettes have ruined my life twice over now! If it wasn't for Bendek and Koloman then I would have thought every Dragonette was bad. They're the only ones who have helped me. They said…they said they'd help me get my son. I just want a family. I've put up with so much, been promised so much but it all gets taken away."

"Sssshhh. Shhh Harry. It's alright. Let it all out." Harry jerked at the voice. Vision blurred because of tears, shock making his feet stumble a little and amazement making his heartbeat skip a beat, Harry looked at the man now stood where the Dragon had been. He was closer than the dragon had been, and was taking steps to come closer. His arms were held out, palms facing up demonstrating he was unarmed. He wore a sleeveless black robe over a short sleeved dark blue undershirt, with glasses tucked into the chest pocket, and buckram trousers. He was about six foot 8 inches tall and had wide shoulders that betrayed power, a wide flat chest that exuded power and a narrow waist indicative of peak fitness. He had a strong square nose and a strong jaw to match with sharp jawbones. He had curling black hair that twisted to the base of his neck, the curls softening the intimidating body of power.

What destroyed any hint of softness in the man, however small a hint of softness there was, were the piercing, bright yellow eyes.

The man took another step forwards. Those severe eyes pierced through Harry and made him turn his head to the side even as he gawped with amazement, anger and shock.

"You…" Harry stuttered unable to say anything though wanting to say everything.

"Hello Harry." The man said, took that last, final, ultimate, _crucial_ step. Hands gripped Harry and the man leaned in close. Harry shuddered and gasped. Hot breath puffed over his neck then teeth scraped. Then they _pressed_.

Oh.

The pressure from those teeth radiated heat through Harry. Scorching heat like an inferno raced from Harry's neck down his body, frying up his core temperature to several degrees higher, flushing him with fever and melting his brain into a daze. Harry felt dizzy, he felt hot and all he could concentrate on were those teeth.

A million different thoughts raced across the forefront of his brain. A billion other thoughts fled. Saladin flicked to the forefront then got decimated by the heat as a looming dark shadow with piercing eyes stepped into place. Harry's unborn son crashed into Harry's mind and fire pooled around him, encasing him and stopping anybody from reaching him. His memory of Koloman and Benedek flicked up, they were batted away. Yellow eyes leapt to overtake all images before Harry's mind's eye.

"Oh." Harry heard the noise. He felt the noise vibrate from his own voice box. He felt the air needed for the noise puff out over his tongue and between his teeth. He knew it was him who made the noise. But he just seemed so far away. He was in a comfortable place; a comfortable quiet place where everything was soft and safe. He was warm and he didn't have a care in the world. There was a yellow focus on him and for once, _for once, _nothing would even attempt to drag him from his home because he was in that focus and he was important. He was worthy. He was relaxed.

He was home.

And then the teeth were far away. The heat was leaving. The focus was leaving, everything contained within it was leaving.

"Ah!" Harry gasped, mind snapping back to his body like an elastic band cracking back to size. He lurched his body backwards, the only thing that stopped him from falling were the pair of strong arms gripping him. "You! What in Merlin's name were you thinking?! Why the heck didn't you change back before? Why did you change back now? What did you do to me? Who are you? Why have you been following me? What…"

Teeth once again pressed ont the skin of Harry's neck. He broke of speaking and the world disappeared underneath a black curtain as his eyes shut and he slammed back into that calm, gentle, floating place. He was content there, why did I have to end before? He could have stayed there. It was relaxing. It was comfortable. It was just like home.

The teeth left again and Harry groaned, mind once again sinking quickly back into place with a cold wave of reality. Everything came rushing back once more but this time the anger was less prevalent.

Grief welled up in Harry. Grief for all that he had suffered. Grief for all he had lost. Grief for what wasn't his yet but he'd lost anyway. Grief for the ending of that wonderful feeling. Grief for still being in such an awful place. Grief for glimpsing paradise but never catching it.

"Hello Harry."

"H-H-Hello." Harry whispered and pulled his head back and away from the man before him. He looked up, then up again, into yellow eyes. The yellow seemed to glow in the moonlight, and glow from some inner fire. The man smiled, slowly and carefully as if doing it quickly would be frightening or hard.

"My name is Jory Sárkány. It is good to finally introduce myself." Sárkány? Sárkány? Where had Harry heard that name before? Where? Those yellow eyes looked honestly and appealingly into Harry's green ones.

"It's nice to know your name. Not just call you Dragon…or puppy." Harry didn't mean to say the last bit, it just sort of slipped out.

"Puppy? You called me puppy?" Harry laughed a little at the disgusted look on Jory's face.

Then the laughter dissolved into tears once more and Harry turned away from Jory to hide his tears and his grief.

"Oh Harry."

Harry shook his head and wiped his tears trying to get rid of them so he could stop crying. The faster he wiped the faster they came and the bigger they came back. Large blobs of water, hot and salty fell from his eyes in rivers down his cheeks.

Harry's breathing became unmanageable and fast, hiccupping in and out. His diaphragm ached trying to cope with his accelerated breathing. His body trembled as oxygen was sucked in and breathed out faster than it could be utilised to feed muscles. Blood pumped around his body so fast it barely wasted a second in each muscle.

Harry felt faint and dizzy with his misery.

"Oh drágaságom." The words were sad. The strong arms gripping Harry swept around him now instead and pulled him against the broad hard chest. Harry tried to yank back but it was weak.

"Got off of me! Let go! You have no right to…!" Harry shouted, voice wobbling and unsteady even as his body weakly struggled against the gentle hold on him.

"Shh Kincsem, take comfort from me. Trust I am strong enough to bear your problems for you for a while." Oh those words sounded so good. If only they were true.

"No. You don't understand! And you don't know me! Let me go." Harry insisted, shaking his head and gasping for air as the crying and the struggling sapped his strength.

"You know me Harry. Trust in me. I have not hurt you. I have been your friend."

"But I never talked with you and I don't want-" Harry tried once more to pull back, pushing on the chest in front of him. The chest did not more back, nor did Harry.

"I am here Harry. Accept my comfort, drágaságom. Care for yourself Harry. I will keep the rest of the world at bay."

Harry sucked in a huge breath ready to say something, to yell something.

But those wonderful words, full of soothing promise, caressed his eardrum like a divine melody. Oh. Oh that would be better. Keep the world away. Keep it away. It had hurt Harry enough for now.

Harry sobbed out the breath. His legs gave way and his strength fled with it. He slumped into Jory. His hands slid down Jory's chest then feebly clutched at the shirt to stop falling away completely. Harry leaned into the hard, solid body. It accepted the extra weight as if it were nothing. It didn't tense more, didn't move. It remained steady and firm. Solid. Safe.

Harry hadn't been safe like this for a very long time.

Harry hadn't trusted that he was this safe in a long time.

Harry hadn't felt safe in somebody's arms ever.

"Talk to me drágaságom. Tell me everything. Let me share your burden."

So Harry told him.

It was the easiest and most freeing thing in the world. In that safety, in that warmth…everything was easy. Everything was safe.

Harry talked of Saladin. He talked about how they met. Harry talked about how he thought there was something quite right about Saladin but how he ignored the warring instincts. Harry talked of how he had only given into Saladin because Saladin manipulated and nagged him into mating. Harry talked about how Saladin had transformed from a seemingly gentle caring man with a weird gleam in his eye into a monster with no heart and no morals. He talked about how Saladin raped him and Nabih to impregnate Nabih by Harry.

Harry talked about the temple. He talked about the mateship. He talked about Blaise. He talked about Nikita and Sydney and all the others. He talked about how Saladin bullied and raped and hurt everybody. He talked about the bullying dominants in the temple that he stood up to. He talked about planning the escape. He talked about building the wand and the many failed attempts they made before finally, _finally,_ succeeding. He talked about calling for help.

He talked about the council. He talked about Benedek coming to help them and how the young boy Dilraj helped save them all. He talked about the trial for Saladin and how they sentenced him to death. He spoke about how the council decided to put him in a mateship with Nabih who wouldn't talk to him. He talked about he broke away from the mateship without ever having mated. He talked about how Nabih promised him the child…his son.

He talked about the council's new decision, about him not having his son.

He talked and he cried.

Jory listened and kept holding on tightly.

Eventually Harry fell silent.

Jory didn't let go. He held on and soothed Harry gently using no words just gently humming and shushing sounds. He stroked Harry's neck, rubbed down his back.

Harry's breathing slowed. His tears trickled out then ceased. His trembling stopped. His grief waned. His thoughts rustled lifelessly in the background, too exhausted to carry on.

Harry yawned.

"Thank you." Jory said, voice vibrating through his chest in a soothing baritone that rumbled comfortingly through the air and through Harry's body.

"For what?" Harry asked, blinking slowly from his place against Jory's chest.

"For trusting me. For sharing with me. For trusting yourself."

"Hm." Harry hummed and shrugged a little, the effort of that small gesture exhausting him further.

"I think you now need rest. Come. Allow me to take you home to my mateship. We shall take care of you tonight." Jory shifted and moved back a little creating space between Harry and the wall of warmth, strength and safety Harry had been leaning on. Harry blinked up and shivered, feeling the loss as miniscule as the four inches of distance was.

"Back to your house? No, I think I should just go home." Harry disagreed croakily since his voice was worn out.

"And you shall go home, with me. Come. I won't have you argue. You've trusted me a lot this evening and I understand how hard it is for you to trust. However, I have let you go home to your room alone for several nights and I don't believe it has done you good. Now, more than ever, you need somebody around you to keep you safe. Believe that I am strong enough to protect you."

His speech was gently impassioned; full of sincerity; bursting with pleads and promises. Harry wanted to resist, he really did. He didn't think it was a good idea. He didn't know Jory enough. But those yellow eyes cut through his body and Harry felt all his fight die away.

"Alright." Harry whispered exhaustedly and slumped back against Jory. He was tired. Oh so very tired. Jory had been good to him so far. He'd trust in him to remain good.

"You have just given me a truly amazing gift kincsem. Köszönöm szépen. Come, I will apparate us. Hold on tight."

Harry barely had time to nod and then they were squashing down a straw in the magic that was apparation.

The next few moments were a blur. Harry saw barely anything from his position against Jory. He was walked into a room then left sitting on the ginormous bed while Jory disappeared for a moment. Harry heard the dull rumble of a couple voices, some loud gasps and cries of shock then more rumbling. Finally there was a larger eruption of positive sound which carried Jory back into the room with a peaceful look on his face. Harry watched him come closer wondering why he didn't feel the need to get up or get his wand out or say anything. He wondered if it was okay for him to just exist under that yellow gaze for a while…or whether that was a bad thing.

"You look exhausted. I have told my mateship you are here. Come. Let's get you into bed, you need to rest."

"Jory I…"

"Shh." Jory knelt down by Harry's feet and pulled off Harry's shoes before standing and tugging off Harry's outer robe. Harry shivered, slithers of worry sliding through him as the robe left. He watched Jory worriedly. Surely Jory didn't mean for him to remove his clothes. He couldn't want Harry to…Yellow eyes glanced up and pinned Harry in their stare. "There is no need to fear now Harry. I merely want your robe then you can slide into the bed and get some rest."

Harry tried to breathe easier. Jory took the robe and hung it over a chair at a nearby vanity table. Harry watched him the entire time. Jory walked the few steps back to the bed and pulled the covers down gesturing for Harry to climb in between the covers.

"Come Harry. You shall sleep here tonight." Harry did as he was bade and moved slowly, lethargically, around and under the covers. He settled against the pillow with a sigh and immediately felt safety and comfort pool around him.

Jory climbed onto the bed and lay next to Harry.

Harry panicked and sat up, wide eyed and alarmed.

"Shh. I mean no harm. I will not hurt you." Jory held up his hands showing he was unarmed and in the universal sign for surrender without having placed his hands above his head. Harry relaxed a little but kept careful eyes pinned on Jory. The man sighed. "You need to rest and I said I would protect you. I shall stay here and protect you while you get some sleep. Later I shall get some sleep myself in one of the other rooms. For now let me offer comfort still and keep you safe by me."

Harry wanted to say more, he wanted to say something – anything. But those yellow eyes seemed to surround him again and there was a look to them that had Harry exposing his neck once more and lying down. Harry let out a strangled noise as something drove him to submit like that.

Jory sighed and got off the bed.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the man transformed into his dragon form. The hulking beast would have been bigger than the room except, with a strange sound like bubbles rising from gloop, the room bent, morphed and twisted becoming wider and higher and longer and bigger until there as plenty of room for Jory's dragon form to move.

The dragon stepped up to the bed and placed his head down upon it yellow eyes watching Harry. Harry felt the panic ebb away. He bit his lip and stared at the dragon.

"I'm sorry."

"Eeerrrroooo. Ssssss. Ssssssss." Jory cooed then hissed and the large yellow eyes flicked closed for a moment before opening and Jory gave Harry a questioning look before repeating the action. Harry supposed it meant for him to close his eyes.

"I-"

"Sssssss." The dragon insisted again and shut his eyes for longer, before opening them and looking expectantly at Harry once more.

Harry sighed and shut his eyes, rolling onto his side and curling up a little. He pulled the covers up and over his ear, hiding all but his face and hair from view. Then he tried to relax into sleep. He thought it would take him forever to sleep. He was in a strange place, there was a strange man transformed into a dragon who had listened to all his troubles laying on the bed next to him. The bed was large and far too comfortable to be his. He should have felt uncomfortable and on edge, alert and awake.

But Harry fell straight to sleep.

He awoke a few hours later when the bed dipped. His mind was foggy with exhaustion and the dreams he'd been having clung to him but Harry opened his eyes and tried to look around through the fog and darkness. His eyes met yellow eyes, human sized yellow eyes.

"I am sorry to wake you. I am going to sleep in the room next to this one. Rest easy though Harry. I am not far away. Trust in me submissive, I shall protect you still. Sleep." Jory leaned over him and Harry immediately tensed waiting for something to happen; pain, fear, humiliation, betrayal, torture.

Warm lips pressed to his forehead and pushed him gently back towards the pillow. Harry closed his eyes. The gentle touch was kind and caring, imbuing more trust and more comfort to Harry.

"I will see you in the morning. Sleep now." Those lips left and Harry watched as Jory quietly left the room, closing the door carefully behind him with a gentle caring smile back at Harry.

Harry breathed for a moment then shut his eyes and rolled over. It was strange, Jory wasn't in the room any more but the feelings around him were still present. His smell was still in the room, like fire and leather and parchment. The bed next to Harry was still warm from his bod heat. Harry's forehead tingled with warmth from the kiss Jory had given him.

Harry smiled. He went back to sleep.


End file.
